TACOMA POWER/TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION

REQUEST FOR BIDS

WOOD POLE TEST, INSPECTION AND TREATMENT SERVICES

SPECIFICATION NO. PT26-0001F

Form No. SPEC-040C Revised: 06/03/2024

City of Tacoma Tacoma Power/Transmission & Distribution

REQUEST FOR BIDS PT26-0001F

Wood Pole Inspection, Test, and Treatment Services

Submittal Deadline: 11:00 a.m., Pacific Time, Tuesday, August 4, 2026 Submittals must be received by the City’s Procurement and Payables Division by 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

For electronic submittals, the City of Tacoma will designate the time of receipt recorded by our email server, as the official time of receipt. This clock will be used as the official time of receipt of all parts of electronic bid submittals. Include the specification number in the subject line of your email. Your submittal must be sent as an attachment, links to your electronic submittal will not be accepted.

For in person submittals, the City of Tacoma will designate the time of receipt recorded by the timestamp located at the lobby security desk, as the official time of receipt. Include the specification number on the outside of the sealed envelope. Late submittals will be returned unopened and rejected as non-responsive.

Submittal Delivery: Sealed submittals will be received as follows:

By Email:

sendbid@tacoma.gov Maximum email size including attachments: 35 MB.

Multiple emails may be sent for each submittal.

Note: Email may pass through multiple servers before arriving at its destination. Please allow sufficient time for email delivery of submittals. Timely electronic delivery is at the risk of the supplier.

In Person:

Tacoma Public Utilities Administration Building North, Main Floor, Lobby Security Desk 3628 South 35th Street Tacoma, WA 98409 Monday – Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm

Bid Opening: Submittals must be received by the City’s Procurement and Payables Division prior to 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Sealed submittals in response to a RFB will be opened Tuesday’s at 11:15 a.m. by a purchasing representative and read aloud during a public bid opening held at the Tacoma Public Utilities Administrative Building North, 3628 S. 35th Street, Tacoma, WA 98409, conference room M-1, located on the main floor. They will also be held virtually Tuesday’s at 11:15 a.m. Attend a Zoom meeting via this link or call 1

(253) 215 8782, using meeting ID # 884 0268 0573, passcode # 070737.

Submittals in response to an RFP, RFQ or RFI will be recorded as received, but not read at bid opening. As soon as possible, after 1:00 PM, on the day of submittal deadline, preliminary results will be posted to www.TacomaPurchasing.org.

If you believe your submittal was sent timely and was not read at bid opening, please contact sendbid@cityoftacoma.org immediately.

Solicitation Documents: An electronic copy of the complete solicitation documents may be viewed and obtained by accessing the City of Tacoma Purchasing website at www.TacomaPurchasing.org.

• Register for the Bid Holders List to receive notices of addenda, questions and answers and related updates.

• Click here to see a list of vendors registered for this solicitation.

Pre-Proposal Meeting: A pre-proposal meeting will be held via TEAMs.

Microsoft Teams meeting Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/260378432449959?p=NDoNT67QMH0IMLUkM4 Meeting ID: 260 378 432 449 959 Passcode: su69cx9B mailto:sendbid@sendbid@tacoma.gov https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88402680573?pwd=eThSaXZxNER0TWRhUGx6U0F2cURMZz09 https://www.cityoftacoma.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=169&pageId=22848 mailto:sendbid@cityoftacoma.org http://www.tacomapurchasing.org/ http://www.ci.tacoma.wa.us/45bidsapps/PlanholderRegister.aspx http://www.ci.tacoma.wa.us/45bidsapps/PlanholderList.aspx https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/260378432449959?p=NDoNT67QMH0IMLUkM4

Form No. SPEC-040C Revised: 06/03/2024

Dial in by phone +1 253-666-4424,,531722820# United States, Tacoma Find a local number Phone conference ID: 531 722 820#

Project Scope: Provide the services of inspection of wood utility poles, testing, and treatment of decay.

Estimate: $2,150,000 for 4-year contract Paid Sick Leave: The City of Tacoma requires all employers to provide paid sick leave in accordance with State of Washington law.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA Information: The City of Tacoma, in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), commits to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability, in all of its programs and activities. Specification materials can be made available in an alternate format by emailing the contact listed below in the Additional Information section.

Title VI Information:

“The City of Tacoma” in accordance with provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, (78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. sections 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, national origin in consideration of award.

Additional Information: Requests for information regarding the specifications may be obtained by contacting Aaron Bratton by email to abratton@tacoma.gov.

Protest Policy: City of Tacoma protest policy, located at www.tacomapurchasing.org, specifies procedures for protests submitted prior to and after submittal deadline.

Meeting sites are accessible to persons with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities can be arranged with 48 hours advance notice by calling 253-502-8468.

tel:+12536664424,,531722820 https://dialin.teams.microsoft.com/5349761c-1f7c-49ce-8138-c91754a307ae?id=531722820 http://cms.cityoftacoma.org/Purchasing/CandA/ProtestPolicy052711.pdf http://www.tacomapurchasing.org/

Request for Bids Specification No. PT26-0001F Template Revised: 08/01/2025

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUBMITTAL CHECK LIST

SPECIAL NOTICE TO BIDDERS

1. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

2. GENERAL PROVISIONS

3. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

4. DESCRIPTION OF WORK

5. ANTICIPATED CONTRACT TERM

6. CALENDAR OF EVENTS

7. INQUIRIES

8. PRE-BID MEETING

9. DISCLAIMER

10. RESPONSIVENESS

11. AWARD

12. PREVAILING WAGE INFORMATION

13. BID BOND

14. PAYMENT AND PERFORMANCE BONDS

15. WARRANTY

16. INSPECTION

17. APPROVED ITEM EQUIVALENT

18. COMPLIANCE WITH SPECIFICATIONS

19. MATERIALS AND WORKMANSHIP

20. ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PROCUREMENT

21. LEAP REQUIREMENTS

22. EQUITY IN CONTRACTING

23. DOCUMENT ASSISTANCE – APEX ACCELERATOR

APPENDIX A

APPENDIX B

APPENDIX C

SUBMITTAL CHECK LIST

This checklist identifies items to be included with your submittal. Any submittal received without these required items may be deemed non-responsive and not be considered for award.

Submittals must be received by the City of Tacoma Purchasing Division by the date and time specified in the Request for Bids page.

The following items make up your complete electronic submittal package (include all the items below):

Statement of Qualifications (Appendix B)

Signature Page (Appendix B) To be filled in and executed by a duly authorized officer or representative of the bidding entity.

If the bidder is a subsidiary or doing business on behalf of another entity, so state, and provide the firm name under which business is hereby transacted.

Price Proposal Form (Appendix B) The unit prices bid must be shown in the space provided. Check your computations for omissions and errors.

Bid Bond

Certification of Compliance with Wage Payment Statutes Bidder shall complete this form in its entirety to ensure compliance with state legislation (SHB 2017).

State Responsibility and Reciprocal Bid Preference Information Bidder shall complete this form in its entirety to ensure compliance with state legislation (SHB 2010).

Substitution Request Form (if applicable – Appendix B)

After award, the following documents will be executed:

City of Tacoma Contract (See sample in Appendix C) Must be executed by the successful bidder.

Certificate of Insurance and related endorsements (Appendix C) Shall be submitted with all required endorsements

Payment and Performance Bonds (See samples in Appendix C) Payment Bond and Performance Bond: Must be executed by the successful bidder and his/her surety company

General Release (See sample in Appendix C)

SPECIAL NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Public works and improvement projects for the City of Tacoma are subject to Washington state law and Tacoma Municipal Code, including, but not limited to the following:

I. STATE OF WASHINGTON

A. RESPONSIBILITY CRITERIA – STATE OF WASHINGTON

In order to be considered a responsible bidder the bidder must meet the following mandatory state responsibility criteria contained in RCW 39.04.350:

1. Have a current certificate of registration as a contractor in compliance with chapters

18.27 RCW,18.106 RCW, 70.87 RCW, 19.28 RCW, which must have been in effect at the time of bid submittal;

2. Have a current Washington Unified Business Identifier (UBI) number;

3. If applicable:

a. Have Industrial Insurance (workers' compensation) coverage for the bidder’s employees working in Washington, as required in Title 51 RCW;

b. Have a Washington Employment Security Department number, as required in Title 50 RCW;

c. Have a Washington Department of Revenue state excise tax registration number, as required in Title 82 RCW and;

4. Not be disqualified from bidding on any public works contract under RCW 39.06.010 (unlicensed or unregistered contractors) or 39.12.065(3) (prevailing wage).

5. Have received training on the requirements related to public works and prevailing wage under this chapter and chapter 39.12 RCW and must designate a person or persons to be trained on these requirements. The training must be provided by the department of labor and industries or by a training provider whose curriculum is approved by the department. Bidders that have completed three or more public works projects and have had a valid business license in Washington for three or more years are exempt from this subsection.

B. RECIPROCAL PREFERENCE FOR RESIDENT CONTRACTORS:

Effective March 30, 2012, RCW 39.04.380 imposes a reciprocal preference for resident contractors. Any bid received from a non-resident contractor from a state that provides an in-state percentage bidding preference is subject application of a comparable percentage disadvantage.

A non-resident contractor from a state that provides an in-state percentage bidding preference means a contractor that:

1. Is from a state that provides a percentage bid preference to its resident contractors bidding on public works projects, and

2. Does not have a physical office located in Washington at the time of bidding on the City of Tacoma public works project.

The state of residence for a non-resident contractor is the state in which the contractor was incorporated, or if not a corporation, the state in which the contractor’s business entity was formed.

The City of Tacoma will evaluate all non-resident contractors for an out of state bidder preference. If the state of the non-resident contractor provides an in-state contractor preference, a comparable percentage disadvantage will be applied to the non-resident contractor’s bid prior to contract award. The responsive and lowest and best responsible bidder after application of any non-resident disadvantage will be awarded the contract.

The reciprocal preference evaluation does not apply to public works procured pursuant to RCW 39.04.155, RCW 39.04.280, federally funded competitive solicitations where such agencies prohibit the application of bid preferences, or any other procurement exempt from competitive bidding.

Bidders must provide the City of Tacoma with their state of incorporation or the state in which the business entity was formed and include whether the bidder has a physical office located in Washington.

The bidder shall submit documentation demonstrating compliance with above criteria on the enclosed State Responsibility and Reciprocal Bidder Information form.

C. SUBCONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITY

1. The Contractor shall include the language of this subcontractor responsibility section in each of its first-tier subcontracts and shall require each of its subcontractors to include the same language of this section in each of their subcontracts, adjusting only as necessary the terms used for the contracting parties. The requirements of this section apply to all subcontractors regardless of tier.

2. At the time of subcontract execution, the Contractor shall verify that each of its first-tier subcontractors meets the following bidder responsibility criteria:

a. Have a current certificate of registration as a contractor in compliance with chapter 18.27 RCW, which must have been in effect at the time of subcontract bid submittal;

b. Have a current Washington Unified Business Identifier (UBI) number;

c. If applicable, have:

i. Industrial Insurance (workers' compensation) coverage for the bidder’s employees working in Washington, as required in Title 51 RCW;

ii. A Washington Employment Security Department number, as required in Title 50 RCW;

iii. A Washington Department of Revenue state excise tax registration number, as required in Title 82 RCW;

iv. An electrical contractor license, if required by Chapter 19.28 RCW;

v. An elevator contractor license, if required by Chapter 70.87 RCW and;

3. Not be disqualified from bidding on any public works contract under RCW 39.06.010 (unlicensed or unregistered contractors) or 39.12.065(3) (prevailing wage).

II. CITY OF TACOMA

A. SUPPLEMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY CRITERIA – CITY OF TACOMA:

In order to be considered a responsible bidder, the prospective bidder shall have all of the following qualifications set forth in Tacoma Municipal Code 1.06.262:

1. Adequate financial resources or the ability to secure such resources;

2. The necessary experience, stability, organization and technical qualifications to perform the proposed contract;

3. The ability to comply with the required performance schedule, taking into consideration all existing business commitments;

4. A satisfactory record of performance, integrity, judgment and skills; and

5. Be otherwise qualified and eligible to receive an award under applicable laws and regulations.

a. Bidder Responsibility. Bidders shall not be in violation of 39.04.350 RCW Bidder

Responsibility Criteria - Supplemental Criteria.

In addition to the mandatory bidder responsibility criteria listed immediately above, the City may, in addition to price, consider any or all of the following criteria contained in Tacoma Municipal Code Chapter 1.06.262 in determining bidder responsibility:

1. The ability, capacity, experience, stability, technical qualifications and skill of the respondent to perform the contract;

2. Whether the respondent can perform the contract within the time specified, without delay or interference;

3. Integrity, reputation, character, judgment, experience, and efficiency of the respondents, including past compliance with the City’s Ethics Code;

4. Quality of performance of previous contracts;

5. Previous and existing compliance with laws and ordinances relating to contracts or services;

6. Sufficiency of the respondent’s financial resources;

7. Quality, availability, and adaptability of the supplies, purchased services or public works to the particular use required;

8. Ability of the respondent to provide future maintenance and service on a timely basis;

9. Payment terms and prompt pay discounts;

10. The number and scope of conditions attached to the submittal;

11. Compliance with all applicable City requirements, including but not limited to the City's

Ethics Code and its Small Business Enterprise and Local Employment and Apprenticeship programs;

12. Other qualification criteria set forth in the specification or advertisement that the appropriate department or division head determines to be in the best interests of the City.

The City may require bidders to furnish information, sworn or certified to be true, to demonstrate compliance with the City responsibility criteria set forth above. If the city manager or director of utilities is not satisfied with the sufficiency of the information provided, or if the prospective respondent does not substantially meet all responsibility requirements, any submittal from such respondent must be disregarded.

B. ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENTAL CRITERIA

See Minimum Requirements section – Item 1

C. MODIFICATIONS TO SUPPLEMENTAL CRITERIA

Potential bidders may request modifications to the City’s supplemental criteria by submitting a written request to the Purchasing Division via email to bids@tacoma.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, three days prior to the submittal deadline. Please include the Specification No. and Title when submitting such requests. Requests must include justification for why certain criteria should be modified. Requests received after this date and time will not be considered.

The City will respond to a timely submitted request prior to the bid opening date. Changes to the supplemental criteria, if warranted, will be issued by addendum to the solicitation documents and posted to the City’s website for the attention of all prospective bidders.

D. DETERMINATION OF BIDDER RESPONSIBILITY

If the City determines the bidder does not meet the criteria above and is therefore not a responsible bidder, the City shall notify the bidder in writing with the reasons for its determination. If the bidder disagrees, the bidder may appeal the determination in a manner consistent with the City’s Protest Policy. Appeals are coordinated by the Purchasing Division heard by the Procurement and Payables Division manager for contracts less than or equal to

$500,000 and by Contracts and Awards Board for contracts greater than $500,000.

1. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum ten (10) years of providing wood pole test, inspection, and treatment services.

• A minimum of five (5) references by utilities for these services on cedar and fir species in the last five (5) years. Experience with the City of Tacoma, including Tacoma Public Utilities, may be included for consideration.

• Ability to actively pursue proposed work

• Ability to provide the services listed in Section 4.02 in Appendix A – Special Provisions

• Meet requirements listed in the Statement of Qualifications in Appendix B

2. GENERAL PROVISIONS

City of Tacoma General Provisions apply. (See Appendix A – Special Provisions)

3. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

Successful proposer will provide proof of and maintain the insurance coverage in the amounts and in the manner specified in the City of Tacoma Insurance Requirements contained in this solicitation. (See Appendix A)

4. DESCRIPTION OF WORK

The City of Tacoma (City) / Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU) is soliciting bids to establish one or more contracts with qualified vendors to fulfill the City’s needs for Wood Pole Test, Inspection, and Treatment Services. Contract(s) will be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder(s) based on price and ability to meet qualifications in Appendix B.

5. ANTICIPATED CONTRACT TERM

It is anticipated the term of this contract will be two years with the potential to extend for two additional one-year periods.

6. CALENDAR OF EVENTS

This is a tentative schedule only and may be altered at the sole discretion of the City.

Contract will be issued after Public Utility Board and/or City Council approval.

The anticipated schedule of events concerning this RFB is as follows:

Pre-Bid Meeting: 7/9/2026 Question Deadline/Substitution Request Form Due: 7/15/2026 City response to Questions: 7/20/2026 Submittal Due Date: 8/4/2026 Anticipated Award Date, on or about: 8/14/2026 Public Utility Board/City Council Approval, on or about: 9/23/2026

7. INQUIRIES

7.1 Questions can be submitted to Aaron Bratton, Senior Buyer, via email to abratton@tacoma.gov. Subject line to read:

PT26-0001F – Wood Pole Test, Inspection, and Treatment Services – VENDOR NAME

7.2 Questions are due by 3 pm on the date included in the Calendar of Events section.

7.3 Questions marked confidential will not be answered or included.

7.4 The City reserves the discretion to group similar questions to provide a single answer or not to respond when the requested information is confidential.

7.5 The answers are not typically considered an addendum.

7.6 The City will not be responsible for unsuccessful submittal of questions.

7.7 Written answers to questions will be posted alongside these specifications at www.tacomapurchasing.org.

8. PRE-BID MEETING

A pre-bid meeting will be held at the date and time specified in the calendar of events, via

TEAMS.

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/260378432449959?p=NDoNT67QMH0IMLUkM4

Meeting ID: 260 378 432 449 959

Passcode: su69cx9B

Dial in by phone

+1 253-666-4424,,531722820# United States, Tacoma

Find a local number

Phone conference ID: 531 722 820#

9. DISCLAIMER

The City is not liable for any costs incurred by the Respondent for the preparation of materials, or a proposal submitted in response to this RFB, for conducting any presentations to the City, or any other activities related to responding to this RFB, or to any subsequent requirements of the contract negotiation process.

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/260378432449959?p=NDoNT67QMH0IMLUkM4 tel:+12536664424,,531722820 https://dialin.teams.microsoft.com/5349761c-1f7c-49ce-8138-c91754a307ae?id=531722820

10. RESPONSIVENESS

Bid submittals must provide ninety (90) days for acceptance by City from the due date for receipt of submittals. All submittals will be reviewed by the City to determine compliance with the requirements and instructions specified in this RFB. The Respondent is specifically notified that failure to comply with any part of this RFB may result in rejection of the submittal as non-responsive. The City reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to waive irregularities deemed immaterial. The City also reserves the right to not award a contract or to issue subsequent RFB’s.

11. AWARD

Awardee shall be required to comply with 2 CFR part 25 and obtain a unique entity identifier and/or be registered in the federal System for Award Management as appropriate.

Award will be made to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder. All bidders shall provide unit or lump sum pricing for each line item. Each line item will be added up for a subtotal price. The subtotal price will be compared amongst each bidder, including any payment discount terms offered twenty (20) days or more. The City may also take into consideration all other criteria for determining award, including evaluation factors set forth in Municipal Code Section 1.06.262.

All other elements or factors, whether or not specifically provided for in this specification, which would affect the final cost to and the benefits to be derived by the City will be considered in determining the award of the contract. The final award decision will be based on the best interests of the City.

The City reserves the right to let the contract to the lowest responsible bidder whose bid will be the most advantageous to the City, price and any other factors considered. In evaluating the proposals, the City may also consider any or all of the following:

1. Compliance with specification.

2. Proposal prices, listed separately if requested, as well as a lump sum total

3. Time of completion/delivery.

4. Warranty terms.

5. Bidder's responsibility based on, but not limited to:

a) Ability, capacity, organization, technical qualifications and skill to perform the contract or provide the services required.

b) References, judgment, experience, efficiency and stability.

c) Whether the contract can be performed within the time specified.

d) Quality of performance of previous contracts or services

12. PREVAILING WAGE INFORMATION

If this project requires prevailing wages under chapter 39.12 RCW, any worker, laborer, or mechanic employed in the performance of any part of the work shall be paid not less than the applicable prevailing rate of wage.

The main project site(s) are located in Pierce County but during the course of the contract, work may be located in neighboring counties.

The effective date for prevailing wages on this project will be the submittal deadline with these exceptions:

1. If the project is not awarded within six months of the submittal deadline, the award date is the effective date.

2. If the project is not awarded pursuant to a competitive solicitation, the date the contract is executed is the effective date.

3. Janitorial contracts follow WAC 296-127-023.

Except for janitorial contracts, these rates shall apply for the duration of the contract unless otherwise noted in the solicitation.

Look up prevailing rates of pay, benefits, and overtime codes from this link:

https://secure.lni.wa.gov/wagelookup/

REQUIRED FILINGS

The contractor and all subcontractors covered under 39.12 RCW shall submit to the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) for work provided under this contract:

1. A Statement of Intent to Pay Prevailing Wages must be filed with and approved by L&I upon award of contract.

2. An Affidavit of Wages Paid must be filed with and approved by L&I upon job completion.

3. For on-call contracts, retainage can be release annually. Please see the Intent-Affidavit Info for On-Call Contracts in Appendix D

Payments cannot be released by the City until verification of these filings are received by the engineer. Additional information regarding these filings can be obtained by calling the Department of Labor & Industries, Prevailing Wage at 360-902-5335, https://secure.lni.wa.gov/ or by visiting their MY L&I account.

13. BID BOND

The attached Bid Bond (Appendix A) must be executed by the person legally authorized to sign the bid and must be properly signed by representatives of the surety company unless the bid is accompanied by a certified check or cashier’s check.

https://secure.lni.wa.gov/wagelookup/ http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=39.12 https://secure.lni.wa.gov/

13.1 If a Bid Bond is used, the form furnished by the City must be followed; no variation from the language thereof will be accepted. The amount of the Bid Bond must be not less than five percent (5%) of the total amount bid; and, if shown in dollars and cents, the amount of said Bid Bond must be not less than the required five percent; or in lieu of dollars and cents, the bond may be completed by inserting therein, “five percent of the amount of the accompanying proposal”. Bid Bonds will not be returned. Bid Bond should be submitted electronically with bid submittal. Hard copies should be postmarked no later than the submittal date.

13.2 If a certified or cashier’s check is provided by the successful Respondent(s), the amount of their check will be refunded after award of the Contract, City’s receipt of the signed Contract, and acceptance of the Performance Bond, if applicable. Unsuccessful Respondents providing certified checks will be refunded the amount of their check upon award of the Contract.

13.3 Failure to furnish a Bid deposit of a minimum of 5 percent shall make the bid nonresponsive and shall cause the bid to be rejected by the City.

A deposit of at least 5 percent of the total Bid shall accompany each Bid. This deposit may be cash, certified check, cashier’s check, or a proposal bond (Surety bond). Any proposal bond shall be on the Contracting Agency’s form and shall be signed by the Bidder and the Surety. A proposal bond shall not be conditioned in any way to modify the minimum 5 percent required.

The Surety shall: (1) be registered with the Washington State Insurance Commissioner, and

(2) appear on the current Authorized Insurance List in the State of Washington published by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

The failure to furnish a Bid deposit of a minimum of 5 percent shall make the Bid nonresponsive and shall cause the Bid to be rejected by the Contracting Agency.

If submitting your bid electronically, A scanned version of the original bid bond or cashier’s check shall accompany your electronic bid submittal. The original bid bond or cashier’s check shall be sent to the Contracting Agency and received by the Contracting Agency within 7 calendar days of the bid opening, or the bidder may be deemed non-responsive.

Original bid bond or cashier’s check will be delivered to:

City of Tacoma Procurement & Payables Division Tacoma Public Utilities 3628 South 35th Street Tacoma, WA 98409

If so, stated in the Contract Provisions, cash will not be accepted for a bid deposit.

14. PAYMENT AND PERFORMANCE BONDS

If a payment and performance bonds is stated herein, the required bond including power of attorney, will be 25 percent of the Contract total and is subject to the following requirements.

14.1 The City’s payment and performance bonds forms must be used.

14.2 The payment and performance bonds must be executed by a surety company licensed to do business in the state of Washington.

14.3 The cost of a payment and performance bonds must be included in submittal prices.

Bonds will not be paid as a separate line item.

14.4 For a supply-type contract, a certified cashier’s check or cash may be substituted for the bonds; however, this cash or check must remain with the City through the guarantee period and any interest on said amount shall accrue to the City.

The same bonds can remain in place over the life of the contract and annual status inquiries can be directed to Senior Buyer via email to abratton@tacoma.gov.

15. WARRANTY

Labor: Minimum three (3) year warranty.

Contractor shall arrive on-site at the requested location within 48 hours of notification for all warranty repairs during normal work hours of 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

16. INSPECTION

All goods are subject to final inspection and acceptance by the City. If any inspection fails, the vendor shall be required to make arrangements to exchange the goods at their own expense and replace it in a timely manner acceptable to the City.

Material failing to meet the requirements of this contract will be held at Vendor’s risk and may be returned to Vendor. If so returned, the cost of transportation, unpacking, inspection, repackaging, reshipping, or other like expenses are the responsibility of the Vendor.

17. APPROVED ITEM EQUIVALENT

A specific manufacturer has been listed in the Technical Specifications because this is the current manufacturer accepted. Instructions for submission of the Substitution Request Form contained in Appendix B are in Section 5 of the technical specification. Any treatment product that is not the item identified in the Technical Specifications shall be submitted by the date listed in the Calendar of Events section. The City reserves all rights to be the sole judge as to whether any other manufacturer can meet or exceed the current specifications they use. Equivalents will be approved by Addendum to the solicitation.

18. COMPLIANCE WITH SPECIFICATIONS

All products shall be new and unused. Any product that does not comply with any part of these technical specifications shall be rejected and the vendor shall, at its own expense, including shipping, replace the item.

19. MATERIALS AND WORKMANSHIP

The successful bidder shall be required to furnish all materials necessary to perform contractual requirements. Materials and workmanship for this contract shall conform to all codes, regulations and requirements for such specifications contained herein and the normal uses for which intended. Material shall be manufactured in accordance with the best commercial practices and standards for this type of goods. All literature and products must be packaged and labeled to sell in the United States.

20. ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PROCUREMENT

In accordance with the City’s Sustainable Procurement Policy and Climate Action Plan, it is the policy of the City of Tacoma to encourage the use of products or services that help to minimize the environmental and human health impacts of City Operations. Respondents are encouraged to incorporate environmentally preferable products or services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose. This comparison may consider raw materials acquisition, products, manufacturing, packaging, distribution reuse, operation, maintenance or disposal of the product or service.

The City of Tacoma encourages the use of sustainability practices and desires any awarded contractor(s) to assist in efforts to address such factors when feasible for:

• Durability, reusability, or refillable

• Pollutant releases, especially persistent bioaccumulative toxins (PBTs), low volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and air quality and stormwater impacts

• Toxicity of products used

• Greenhouse gas emissions, including transportation of products and services, and embodied carbon

• Recycled content

• Energy and water resource efficiency

21. LEAP REQUIREMENTS

This project has no LEAP requirements; however, the City of Tacoma is committed to equality in employment for WA-State approved Apprentices, City of Tacoma residents, residents of local economically distressed areas, youth, veterans, minorities, and women. Please contact the LEAP Office for assistance in locating qualified employees. Visit the LEAP website for more information.

https://cms.tacoma.gov/sustainability/resolution38248-PurchasingPolicy.pdf https://cms.tacoma.gov/enviro/Sustain/CAP%20Final/Tacoma%20CAP.pdf mailto:LEAP@tacoma.gov https://tacoma.gov/government/departments/community-and-economic-development/local-employment-and-apprenticeship-training-program/

22. EQUITY IN CONTRACTING

This project has no EIC requirements, however, the City of Tacoma is committed to encouraging firms certified through the Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprise to participate in City contracting opportunities. See TMC 1.07 Equity in Contracting Policy at the City’s Equity in Contracting Program website.

23. DOCUMENT ASSISTANCE – APEX ACCELERATOR

Washington APEX Accelerator offers government contracting assistance for Washington firms.

View services available on their website for locations, ability to register as a client, and view schedules for in-person classes and networking events. Home - Washington APEX Accelerator

Prime Contractors can also use Washington Apex Accelerator to connect with small business to promote equity in contracting practices. Prime Information Resource - Washington APEX Accelerator https://omwbe.diversitycompliance.com/ https://omwbe.diversitycompliance.com/ https://tacoma.gov/government/departments/community-and-economic-development/equity-in-contracting/ https://washingtonapex.org/ https://washingtonapex.org/agencies-prime-contractors/prime-information-resource/ https://washingtonapex.org/agencies-prime-contractors/prime-information-resource/

APPENDIX A

Special Provisions

Technical Specifications

City of Tacoma Insurance Requirements

Intent – Affidavit Info for On-Call Contracts

Tacoma Power Service Area

Tacoma Standard A-OH-1100 Wood Poles

General Provisions 2009, revised 10/06/2018, 10/27/2020, 12/15/2020, 10/08/2024 Page 1 of 20

GENERAL PROVISIONS

(Revised October 8, 2024)

SECTION I - BIDDING REQUIREMENTS

SECTION I REQUIREMENTS ARE BINDING ON ALL RESPONDENTS.

1.01 USE AND COMPLETION OF CITY PROPOSAL SHEETS

A. Respondent's Proposal

Each Respondent must bid exactly as specified on the Proposal sheets. All proposals must remain open for acceptance by the City for a period of at least 60 calendar days from the date of opening of the bids.

B. Alterations of Proposals Not Allowed

Proposals that are incomplete or conditioned in any way contain alternatives or items not called for in the General Provisions and Specifications, or not in conformity with law may be rejected as being nonresponsive. The City cannot legally accept any proposal containing a substantial deviation from these Specifications.

C. Filling Out City Proposal Sheets

All proposals must be completed using the proposal sheets and forms included with this specification, and the prices must be stated in figures either written in ink or typewritten. No proposal having erasures or interlineations will be accepted unless initialed by the Respondent in ink.

1.02 CLARIFICATION OF PROPOSAL FOR RESPONDENT

If a prospective Respondent has any questions concerning any part of the Proposal, he/she may submit a written request for answer of his/her questions. Any interpretation of the Proposal will be made by an Addendum duly issued and mailed or delivered to each prospective Respondent. Such addendum must be acknowledged in the proposal. The City of Tacoma will not be responsible for any other explanation or interpretation of the bid documents.

1.03 RESPONDENT'S BOND OR CERTIFIED CHECK

Each bid for construction must be accompanied either by a certified or cashier’s check for 5 percent of the total amount bid, including tax, payable to the City Treasurer, or an approved bid bond, by a surety company authorized to do business in the State of Washington, for 5 percent of the total amount bid. The person legally authorized to sign the bid must sign all bid bonds. The approved bid bond form attached to these Specifications should be used: no substantial variations from the language thereof will be accepted.

If a bid bond is used, the 5 percent may be shown either in dollars and cents, or the bid bond may be filled in as follows, "5 percent of the total amount of the accompanying proposal."

The check of the successful Respondent will be returned after award of the Contract, acceptance of the Payment and Performance Bond and City's receipt of the signed Contract. The checks of all other Respondents will be returned immediately upon the award of the Contract. Bid bonds will not be returned.

1.04 DELIVERY OF PROPOSALS TO THE CITY’S PURCHASING OFFICE

A. Proposal packages must be received by the City’s Procurement and Payables Division in SAP Ariba (unless another form of delivery is stated), prior to the scheduled time and date stated in the Solicitation.

B. Supplier is solely responsible for timely delivery of its Submittal.

C. Submittals received after the time stated in the solicitation will not be accepted.

D. For purposes of determining whether a Submittal has been timely received in SAP Ariba, the City's Procurement and Payables Division will rely on the submittal clock in SAP Ariba.

General Provisions 2009, revised 10/06/2018, 10/27/2020, 12/15/2020, 10/08/2024 Page 2 of 20

1.05 LICENSES/PERMITS

A. Suppliers, if applicable, must have a Washington state business license at the time of Submittal and throughout the term of the Contract. Failure to include a Washington state business license may be grounds for rejection of the Submittal or cancellation of contract award. Information regarding Washington state business licenses may be obtained at http://bls.dor.wa.gov.

B. Upon award, it is the responsibility of the Supplier to register with the City of Tacoma's Tax and License Division, 733 South Market Street, Room 21, Tacoma, WA 98402-3768, 253-591-5252, https://www.cityoftacoma.org/government/city_departments/finance/tax_and_license/. Supplier shall obtain a business license as is required by Tacoma Municipal Code Subtitle 6C.20.

C. During the term of the Contract, Supplier, at its expense, shall obtain and keep in force any and all necessary licenses and permits.

1.06 CONTRACTOR'S STATE REGISTRATION NUMBER

Contractors for construction or public works construction are required to be licensed by the state. If the provisions of Chapter 18.27 of the Revised Code of Washington apply to the Respondent, then the Respondent's Washington State Contractor's Registration No. must accompany the bid.

1.07 BID IS NONCOLLUSIVE

The Respondent represents by the submission of the Proposal that the prices in this Bid are neither directly nor indirectly the result of any formal or informal agreement with another Respondent.

1.08 EVALUATION OF BID

A. Price, Experience, Delivery Time and Responsibility

In the evaluation of bids, the Respondent's experience, delivery time, quality of performance or product, conformance to the specifications and responsibility in performing other contracts (including satisfying all safety requirements) may be considered in addition to price. In addition, the bid evaluation factors set forth in City Code Section 1.06.262 may be considered by the City. Respondents who are inexperienced or who fail to properly perform other contracts may have their bids rejected for such cause.

B. Prequalified Electrical Contractor

Certain types of electrical construction require special expertise, experience, and prequalification of the Contractor (or subcontractor) by the City. In such cases, the Respondent must be prequalified or the Respondent must subcontract with a City prequalified electrical contractor for the specialty work.

C. Insertions of Material Conflicting with Specifications

Only material inserted by the Respondent to meet requirements of the Specifications will be considered. Any other material inserted by the Respondent will be disregarded as being nonresponsive and may be grounds for rejection of the Respondent's Proposal.

D. Correction of Ambiguities and Obvious Errors

The City reserves the right to correct obvious errors in the Respondent's proposal. In this regard, if the unit price does not compute to the extended total price, the unit price shall govern.

1.09 WITHDRAWAL OF BID

A. Prior to Bid Opening

Any Respondent may withdraw his/her Proposal prior to the scheduled bid opening time by delivering a written notice to the City’s Procurement and Payables Office. The notice may be submitted in person or by mail; however, it must be received by the City’s Procurement and Payables Office prior to the time of bid opening.

B. After Bid Opening

No Respondent will be permitted to withdraw his/her Proposal after the time of bid opening, as set forth in the Call for Bids, and before the actual award of the Contract, unless the award of Contract is delayed more than sixty (60) calendar days after the date set for bid opening. If a delay of more than 60 calendar days does occur, then the Respondent must submit written notice withdrawing his/her Proposal to the Purchasing Manager.

http://bls.dor.wa.gov/ https://www.cityoftacoma.org/government/city_departments/finance/tax_and_license/ https://www.cityoftacoma.org/government/city_departments/finance/tax_and_license/

General Provisions 2009, revised 10/06/2018, 10/27/2020, 12/15/2020, 10/08/2024 Page 3 of 20

1.10 OPENING OF BIDS

At the time and place set for the opening of bids, all Proposals, unless previously withdrawn, will be publicly opened and read aloud, irrespective of any irregularities or informalities in such Proposal.

1.11 CITY COUNCIL/PUBLIC UTILITY BOARD FINAL DETERMINATION

The City Council or Public Utility Board of the City of Tacoma shall be the final judge as to which is the lowest and best bid in the interest of the City of Tacoma. The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids, waive minor deviations or informalities, and if necessary, call for new bids.

1.12 RESPONDENT'S REFUSAL TO ENTER INTO CONTRACT

Any Respondent who refuses to enter into a Contract after it has been awarded to the Respondent will be in breach of the agreement to enter the Contract and the Respondent's certified or cashier’s check or bid bond shall be forfeited.

1.13 TAXES

A. Include In Proposal All Taxes

Respondent shall include in his/her Proposal all applicable local, city, state, and federal taxes. It is the Respondent's obligation to state on his/her Proposal sheet the correct percentage and total applicable Washington State and local sales tax. The total cost to the City including all applicable taxes may be the basis for determining the low Respondent.

B. Federal Excise Tax

The City of Tacoma is exempt from federal excise tax. Where applicable, the City shall furnish a Federal Excise Tax Exemption certificate.

C. City of Tacoma Business and Occupation Tax

Sub-Title 6A of the City of Tacoma Municipal Code (TMC) provides that transactions with the City of Tacoma, may be subject to the City of Tacoma's Business and Occupation Tax. It is the responsibility of the Respondent awarded the Contract to register with the City of Tacoma's Department of Tax and License, 733 South Market Street, Room 21, Tacoma, WA 98402-3768, telephone 253-591-5252. The City's Business and Occupation Tax amount shall not be shown separately but shall be included in the unit and/or lump sum prices bid.

1.14 FIRM PRICES/ESCALATION

Except as specifically allowed by the Special Provisions, only firm prices will be accepted.

1.15 AWARD

A. Construction and/or Labor Contracts

Unless specifically noted in the Special Provisions or Proposal sheets, all construction and/or labor contracts will be awarded to only one Respondent.

B. Supply/Equipment Contracts

The City reserves the right to award an equipment or supply contract for any or all items to one or more Respondents as the interests of the City will be best satisfied.

1.16 INCREASE OR DECREASE IN QUANTITIES

The City of Tacoma reserves the right to increase or decrease the quantities of any items under this Contract and pay according to the unit prices quoted in the Proposal (with no adjustments for anticipated profit).

1.17 EXTENSION OF CONTRACT

Contracts resulting from this specification shall be subject to extension by mutual agreement per the same prices, terms and conditions.

General Provisions 2009, revised 10/06/2018, 10/27/2020, 12/15/2020, 10/08/2024 Page 4 of 20

1.18 PAYMENT TERMS

A. Prices will be considered as net 30 calendar days if no cash discount is shown. Payment discount periods of twenty (20) calendar days or more if offered in the submittal, will be considered in determining the apparent lowest responsible submittal. Discounts will be analyzed in context of their overall cumulative effect. Invoices will not be processed for payment nor will the period of cash discount commence until receipt of a properly completed invoice and until all invoiced items are received and satisfactory performance of the Contractor has been attained. If an adjustment in payment is necessary due to damage or dispute, the cash discount period shall commence on the date final approval for payment is authorized.

B. ePayable/Credit Card Acceptance. Submittals offering ePayable/Credit card acceptance may be compared against submittals offering a prompt payment discount to evaluate the overall cumulative effect of the discount against the advantage to the City of the ePayable/Credit card acceptance, and may be considered in determining the apparent lowest responsible submittal.

1.19 PAYMENT METHOD – EPAYABLES – CREDIT CARD ACCEPTANCE – EFT/ACH ACCEPTANCE

A. Payment methods include:

• EPayables (Payment Plus). This is payment made via a virtual, single use VISA card number provided by the City’s commercial card provider. Suppliers accepting this option will receive “due immediately” payment terms. Two options for acceptance are available to suppliers. Both are accompanied by an emailed advice containing complete payment details:

• Straight-through processing (buyer initiated). Immediate, exact payments directly deposited to supplier accounts by the City’s provider bank; the supplier does not need to know card account details.

• Supplier retrieves card account through the secure, on-line portal provided via email notifications sent by the City’s commercial card provider.

• Credit card. Tacoma’s VISA procurement card program is supported by standard bank credit suppliers and requires that merchants abide by the VISA merchant operating rules. It provides “due immediately” payment terms.

• Suppliers must be PCI-DSS compliant (secure credit card data management) and federal FACTA (sensitive card data display) compliant.

• Suppliers must be set up by their card processing equipment provider (merchant acquirer) as a minimum of a Level II merchant with the ability to pass along tax, shipping and merchant references information.

• Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) by Automated Clearing House (ACH). Standard terms are net 30 for this payment method.

• Check or other cash equivalent. Standard terms are net 30 for this payment method.

B. The City’s preferred method of payment is by ePayables (Payment Plus) followed by credit card (aka procurement card). Suppliers may be required to have the capability of accepting the City’s ePayables or credit card methods of payment. The City of Tacoma will not accept price changes or pay additional fees when ePayables (Payment Plus) or credit card is used.

C. The City, in its sole discretion, will determine the method of payment for goods and/or services as part of the Contract.

1.20 COOPERATIVE PURCHASING

The Washington State Interlocal Cooperative Act RCW 39.34 provides that other governmental agencies may purchase goods and services on this solicitation or contract in accordance with the terms and prices indicated therein if all parties are agreeable.

1.21 PUBLIC DISCLOSURE: PROPRIETARY OR CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

A. Respondent’s Submittals, all documents and records comprising any Contract awarded to Respondent, and all other documents and records provided to the City by Respondent are deemed public records subject to disclosure under the Washington State Public Records Act, Chapter 42.56 RCW (Public Records Act). Thus, City may be required, upon request, to disclose the Contract and documents or records related to it unless an exemption under the Public Records Act or other laws applies. In the event CITY receives a request for such disclosure, determines in its legal judgment that no applicable exemption to disclosure applies; and Respondent has complied with the requirements to Respondent has complied with the requirements to mark records considered confidential or proprietary

General Provisions 2009, revised 10/06/2018, 10/27/2020, 12/15/2020, 10/08/2024 Page 5 of 20 as such requirements are stated below, City agrees to provide Respondent 10 days written notice of impending release.