ITB_PWD261083_Cemeteries__Ground_Maintenance_Services__Exhibit_A__Scope_of_Work.pdf

Exhibit A – SCOPE OF WORK PWD/261083

BACKGROUND

1. The City of Ocala requires the services of an experienced contractor to provide grounds maintenance services for the City maintained cemeteries in the northeast and northwest sections of the City, as noted herein, in Exhibit “ B ” - Price Proposal

2. These services include maintaining City-owned rights of-way, cemeteries, parcels, and other designated areas indicated in Exhibit C – Map of Cemetery Locations.

3. Vendors must attend the mandatory pre-bid meeting at the below date, time and location to be eligible to bid on this project. Vendors must be on time and no more than 10 minutes past the start time, or they will not be considered for bidding.

MANDATORY PRE-BID MEETING:

Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 9:00AM Public Works Conference Room 1805 NE 30th Avenue, Building 300 Ocala, FL 34471

LICENSING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

1. Licensing Requirement: Bidder must possess and maintain a commercial applicator license with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and must submit a copy of their license with bid.

2. Temporary Traffic Control (TCC) Certification Requirement: Contractor must possess and maintain a Florida Department of Transportation Temporary Traffic Control (TCC/MOT) Intermediate Certification and maintain traffic as required by TCC guidelines and submit a copy of their certification with this bid.

3. Experience Requirement: Bidder must possess three (3) years’ experience in providing ground maintenance services.

4. Contractor must perform 95% of work with their own forces.

EQUIPMENT AND LOCATION REQUIREMENTS

1. Contractor shall own the following ground maintenance equipment and must provide photos with serial numbers when submitting bid: Two (2) zero-turn mowers, three (3) gas-powered weed-eaters, two (2) gas-powered edgers, two (2) chemical sprayers, hedge clippers and various other handheld ground maintenance tools.

2. Contractor must be located within 50 miles of City of Ocala City Hall Building, located at 110 SE Watula Ave, Ocala, FL 34471. Proof of business address must be submitted with bid. Any contractor who is not located within these limits will be disqualified from bidding.

INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

1. COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY: with limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate.

2. COMMERCIAL AUTOMOTIVE LIABILITY: a combined limit of not less than $1,000,000.

Exhibit A – SCOPE OF WORK PWD/261083

3. WORKERS’ COMPENSATION AND EMPLOYER’S LIABILITY: per Florida statutory requirements.

CONTRACT TERM/DELIVERY TIMELINE

1. Term: The resulting contract will be for an original term of three (3) years.

2. Renewals: Two (2) optional, one-year renewal terms.

DEFINITIONS

1. Trash: Trash is defined as anything loose and useless (examples but not limited to) bottles, cans, paper, plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic wrappers and Styrofoam cups and plates.

2. Debris: Debris is defined as objects lying on the ground in an area to be mowed that are mostly organic (examples but not limited to) tree limbs less than six inches (6”) in diameter and smaller than six feet (6') in length, tree branches, twigs, hedge clippings and sapling trimmings. One or two broken concrete blocks would qualify as debris, but an abundance of blocks would be the City's responsibility to remove.

If the Contractor finds large items such as old tires, concrete blocks, old chairs or sofas, dead car batteries, etc., on a site to be mowed, Contractor shall contact the City Project Manager, Charlie Varney, to report the findings, and the City will remove and properly dispose of the debris. Otherwise, it is the Contractor's responsibility to remove and properly dispose of debris before mowing.

3. Grass Debris: Grass shall never be blown into roadways or retention ponds. Contractor shall ensure all grass cuttings are kept off the streets and sidewalks.

4. Chemical Use Near Private Property: When using chemicals to treat fence lines, special care shall be used to ensure chemicals are not sprayed onto adjacent private property. No blue dies with herbicide.

5. Fence Spraying: A Three-inch (3”) diameter area from the base of trees shall be maintained when trimming around trees.

A. If the adjacent side is a private property only a three-inch (3”) swath shall be sprayed on the City property.

B. Once the vegetation has been treated with chemicals, the dead grass, weeds, and vines shall be removed with a weed-eater or similar device down to ground level and the remaining dead vegetation removed from the fence.

6. Tree Spraying: A three-inch (3”) diameter area from the base of trees shall be maintained when trimming around trees.

A. Contractor shall chemically kill or retard the growth directly under tress using Roundup or other suitable and equally effective herbicide.

B. When chemically trimming around trees, special care shall be given so as not to spray the suckers growing from the ground around the tree as this may damage or kill the tree.

C. Removal of the bark greater than 25% of the diameter of the tree shall require the tree to be replaced by Contractor at no additional cost to the City. This is common around Crape Myrtles and not normally found around oaks and other common hardwood trees.

Exhibit A – SCOPE OF WORK PWD/261083

7. Sidewalk & Edging: Sidewalks shall be edged. Contractor shall provide proper edging techniques & equipment to edge all curbs & sidewalks; a gas-powered edging tool is required.

A. In areas where there are cracks in the sidewalks or curbing with grass and weeds growing through, the vegetation shall be sprayed with an approved herbicide.

B. After the vegetation is dead, it shall be removed with a weed-eater or similar string device.

MOWING

1. Mow at a height of two (2) inches for Bahia grass, and three (3) inches for St. Augustine grass.

2. All mowing shall be performed between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Any change to days and/or times must be approved by the City Project Manager. There will be no mowing on City-observed holidays. The City Project Manager will provide Contractor a list of City-observed holidays. Weekend work may be done at the Contractor's discretion, but the City reserves the right to prohibit weekend work. Contractor shall immediately notify City Project Manager of any emergency situations that arise during the performance of work.

3. Proper equipment must be used to mow City sites to prevent scalping, rutting, or cutting off tops of slopes with mowing equipment, causing soil erosion.

4. All equipment must be properly maintained with sharp blades, so the grass is cut and not torn, to prevent damage to the grass plants.

5. Mow all grassed areas in accordance with the frequencies indicated below.

6. The City does not include an allowance for delays caused by the effects of inclement weather; however, the City will grant time extensions, on a day-to-day basis, for delays caused by the effects of rains or other inclement weather conditions. No additional compensation will be made for delays caused by

Month Cuts Per Year Total Est Annual Cuts 23

January 1 February 1

March 1 April 2 May 2 June 3 July 3

August 3 September 2

October 2 November 2 December 1

Exhibit A – SCOPE OF WORK PWD/261083 the inclement weather. The Contractor shall submit a written request to the City Project Manager (e-mail is the preferred method) for additional days for which work is suspended or delayed by weather.

7. Contractor must pick up trash and debris in and around the area to be mowed (to include fence lines) before mowing and properly dispose of it so it is not chopped up by the mower. Contractor is responsible for a clean area (free of trash and debris) with neat appearance, even cut and no clumps of grass to remain in the mowed areas. Contractor shall be responsible for straight up headstones and replacing them back in the correct position if hit or damaged.

8. Contractor shall be responsible for blowing off the graves from grass clippings.

9. Contractor will be responsible for all damages incurred to any water sprinkler systems, shrubs, trees, etc. while performing grounds maintenance services. All damages shall be immediately reported to the City Project Manager who will determine the need for replacement and/or repairs. All replacement and/or repairs for damage done by Contractor shall be performed at no additional cost to the City. Any damaged ground sprinklers shall be repaired immediately to comply with water conservation regulations.

10. Backflow assemblies are in various areas throughout the City. In the event a backflow assembly unit is damaged or destroyed by the Contractor, the Contractor shall be liable for all damages and shall be responsible for any costs associated with the repair or replacement of the unit(s). The Contractor's employees shall always have a wrench in their possession to shut off the water, should damage occur to a backflow assembly.

CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Coordination: Work shall be coordinated with the City Project Manager, Charlie Varney.

2. Work Hours: All mowing will be performed between the hours of 7:00AM and 5:00PM, Monday through Friday, unless approved by the project manager.

A. Any change to days and/or times must be approved by the City Project Manager.

B. There will be no mowing on City-observed holidays. Please refer to Exhibit D – Holiday Schedule

C. Weekend work may be done at the Contractor’s discretion, but the City reserves the right to prohibit weekend work.

3. Contractor is responsible for any and all damages including but not limited to buildings, curbing, pavement, landscaping, or irrigation systems caused by their activity. Should any public or private property be damaged or destroyed, the contractor at their expense shall repair or make restoration as acceptable to the City of destroyed or damaged property no later than one (1) month from the date damage occurred.

CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Work shall be coordinated with the City Project Manager, Charlie Varney, 352-351-6789, e-mail:

cvarney@ocalafl.gov.

2. Start date/term for the Public Works Cemeteries – Mowing Maintenance is January 2022.

3. Contractor is responsible for any and all damages including but not limited to buildings, curbing, pavement, landscaping, or irrigation systems caused by their activity. Should any public or private property be damaged or destroyed, the contractor at their expense, shall repair or make restoration as mailto:cvarney@ocalafl.gov

Exhibit A – SCOPE OF WORK PWD/261083 acceptable to the City of destroyed or damaged property no later than one (1) month from the date damage occurred.

4. The contractor shall complete all work performed under this solicitation in accordance with policies and procedures of the City of Ocala and all applicable State and Federal laws, policies, procedures, and guidelines.

5. The contractor shall obtain and pay for any and licenses, additional equipment, dumping and/or disposal fees, etc., required to fulfill this contract.

6. At least one crew member must communicate fluently in English

7. Contractor's employees shall wear shirts or have a badge which identifies the company, and all trucks belonging to the Contractor must display the company's name.

8. When working near roadways, the employee shall wear an FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) approved vest and place FDOT-approved safety cones and FDOT approved “Men Working Signs" in front of, and behind, company vehicles.

9. Properties having gates: Contractor shall report any gates needing repair for failure to close, open, or lock to the City Project Manager, Charlie Varney, e-mail: cvarney@ocalafl.gov. All gates must be closed and locked when finished mowing at the City Complex.

10. Locations: Contractor shall submit a list of all locations which have been mowed at the end of each working day.

11. After completion of each location: Contractor shall take a cellphone photo using the Solocator app of the property, and email to the City designated e-mail address. Please visit www.solocator.com for details.

12. The contractor shall complete all work performed under this solicitation in accordance with policies and procedures of the City of Ocala and all applicable State and Federal laws, policies, procedures, and guidelines.

13. The contractor shall obtain and pay for any and licenses, additional equipment, dumping and/or disposal fees, etc., required to fulfill this contract.

14. At least one crew member must communicate fluently in English

15. Contractor's employees shall wear shirts or have a badge which identifies the company, and all trucks belonging to the Contractor must display the company's name.

16. When working near roadways, the employee shall wear an FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) approved vest and place FDOT-approved safety cones and FDOT approved “Men Working Signs" in front of, and behind, company vehicles.

17. Sinkholes: Contractor shall report any sinkholes found to the Public Works Department: 352-351-6733.

18. Properties having gates: Contractor shall report any gates needing repair for failure to close, open, or lock to the City Project Manager, Carlie Varney, email: cvarney@ocalafl.gov . All gates must be closed and locked when finished mowing at the City Complex.

19. Locations: Contractor shall submit a list of all locations which have been mowed at the end of each working day.

http://www.solocator.com/

Exhibit A – SCOPE OF WORK PWD/261083

20. After completion of each location: Contractor shall take a cellphone photo using the Solocator app of the property, and email to the City designated e-mail address. Please visit www.solocator.com for details.

CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEES AND EQUIPMENT

1. An employee roster must be provided.

2. Contractor must utilize competent employees in performing the work. Employees performing the work must be properly licensed or qualified as required by the scope/project.

3. The contractor shall provide an assigned Project Manager, who will be the primary point of contact.

Contractor must provide a valid telephone number and address at all times to the City Project Manager.

The telephone must be answered during normal working hours or voicemail must be available to take a message.

4. At the request of the City, the contractor must replace any incompetent, unfaithful, abusive or disorderly person in his or her employment. The City and the contractor must each be promptly notified by the other of any complaints received.

5. The employees of the contractor must wear suitable work clothes and personal protective equipment as defined by OSHA. Employees shall be clean and in as good appearance as the job conditions permit.

6. Contractor will operate as an independent contractor and not as an agent, representative, partner or employee of the City of Ocala, and shall control their operations at the work site, and be solely responsible for the acts or omissions of his employees.

7. No smoking is allowed on City property or projects.

8. Contractor must possess/obtain all required equipment to perform the work. A list of equipment shall be provided to the City upon request.

SAFETY

1. The contractor shall be fully responsible for meeting all OSHA, local, state and national codes concerning safety provisions for their employees, sub-contractors, staff, public, etc.

2. In no event shall the City be responsible for any damages to any of the contractor's equipment or clothing lost, damaged, destroyed or stolen.

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

1. The City of Ocala recognizes the following holidays:

New Year's Day January 1st

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 3rd Monday in January

Memorial Day Last Monday in May

Juneteenth July 19

Independence Day July 4th

Labor Day 1st Monday in September

Veterans' Day November 11th http://www.solocator.com/

Exhibit A – SCOPE OF WORK PWD/261083

Thanksgiving Day 4th Thursday in November

Thanksgiving Day (day after) 4th Friday in November

Christmas Eve December 24th

Christmas Day December 25th

2. If the holiday falls on a Saturday, the holiday shall be observed on the preceding Friday. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, the holiday shall be observed on the following Monday or as designated by the city manager.

INVOICING

1. All original invoices will be sent to: Charlie Varney, Project Manager, Public Works Department, 1805 NE 30th Avenue, Building 300, Ocala, FL 34470, email: cvarney@ocalafl.gov, phone: 352-351-6789

2. Contractor will invoice at least once a month.

PRICING AND AWARD

1. Bidder must have been present at the mandatory pre-bid meeting, have all required licenses and certifications and must bid on all line items.

2. Bids will be received on a unit price basis. Award will be made to the lowest, most responsive bidder, meeting all requirements outlined herein.

3. Awarded Vendors shall comply with all applicable provisions of Section 787.06, Florida Statutes.

Specifically, all non-governmental Vendors shall provide the City of Ocala with an affidavit signed by an officer or a representative under penalty of perjury attesting that the non-governmental entity does not use coercion for labor or services as defined in Section 786.06(2).

4. DUE TO THE CITY. Vendor must be current and remain current in all obligations due to the City during the performance of services under the Agreement. Payments to Contractor/Vendor may be offset by any delinquent amounts due to the City or fees and/or charges owed to the City.

5. Vendor must be registered through the E-Verify system, confirming the eligibility of their employees to work in the United State