RFP 26-38 Gas Leak Survey.pdf

Invitation for Bid/Proposal

RFP 26-38

The Purchasing Agent, City of Norwich, on behalf of Norwich Public Utilities, will receive bids/proposals for the Gas Leak Detection Survey until 2:00 P.M. prevailing time on February 13, 2026, at which time they will be opened on the Procurement website and be available to view. All proposals are to be submitted via the City of Norwich Procurement Portal at the following website:

City of Norwich Procurement Portal

The documents may be downloaded from the following website:

City of Norwich Procurement Portal

Addenda, if any, will be posted on the website listed above. All Vendors, prior to submitting their proposals, should check the websites to ensure they have received all issued addenda.

Norwich Public Utilities reserves the right to reject proposals, in whole or in part, to waive minor irregularities, and to select other than the low proposer if deemed in the best interest of the City of Norwich.

Vendors may not withdraw their proposal within sixty (60) days of the opening date. Should there be reason why the contract cannot be awarded within the specified time, the time may be extended by mutual agreement between Norwich Public Utilities and the selected Vendor.

By submitting a proposal to this RFP, the vendor certifies they are not on a state or federal debarment or suspended list and are not prohibited from performing any state or federal work.

All final awards of the bid shall follow the City of Norwich Code of Ordinances §7-46 – Delinquent Tax Setoff Against Money Due Bidder or Contractor.

All Vendors must submit bids/proposals through the City Procurement Portal.

Responding Vendors must ensure that employees and applicant for employment are not discriminated against because of their race, color, religious creed, age, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, intellectual disability, mental disability or physical disability, including, but not limited to blindness, unless it is shown by such Vendor that such disability prevents performance of the work involved.

Robert R. Castronova Purchasing Agent

City of Norwich Department of Finance – Purchasing Agent Phone: (860)823-3706 100 Broadway, Room No. 105 Fax: (860)823-3812 Norwich, CT 06360 E-mail: rcastronova@cityofnorwich.org whathaway@cityofnorwich.org https://norwichct.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities

INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

CITY OF NORWICH, CT 06360

RFP Number: 26-38

Gas Leak Detection Survey

The following instructions and specifications shall be observed by all Proposalders:

1. Time and Place of Proposal Opening Proposals will be received on February 13, 2026 at 2:00 P.M. online at:

https://norwichct.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities No Proposals will be allowed after the time and date of Proposal opening.

2. Availability of Proposal Documents All Proposal documents relative to this project are only available online at the following web address:

https://norwichct.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities

3. Proposal Addenda

If additional information becomes available or changes are made to the proposal documents, an addendum will be issued not later than 3 days prior to the RFP opening date. All questions or requests for information must be submitted via the procurement portal no later than six days prior to the due date. All addenda shall become part of the Contract Documents.

Notice of any addendum will be posted on the following website:

4. Proposal Instructions

Proposals must be submitted to the City of Norwich Procurement portal at:

Proposals will not be accepted by mail, in person or by email.

All forms and associated documents must be uploaded through the procurement portal.

5. Sales and Use Tax

Vendors are reminded that the Connecticut State Sales and Use Tax and associated Federal taxes are not applicable under this contract, and therefore these taxes are not to be included in the proposal price(s).

Under the terms of Connecticut Agencies Regulations §12-426-18, Contractors and Subcontractors, the contractor may purchase materials and supplies as are to be installed or placed in projects being performed under these contracts and will remain in such projects after completion, including tangible personal property that remains tangible personal property after its installation or placement, without payment of the tax and shall not charge any such exempt organization or agency any sales or use tax thereon.

6. Definitions

For the purposes of these documents:

The word “City” means the City of Norwich, CT.

The word “Owner” or “NPU” means Norwich Public Utilities https://norwichct.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities

The word “Proposer or Vendor” refers to the party or parties submitting a proposal to perform the work to be done or materials to be furnished under the Contract; the legal representatives of such party or parties.

The word “Contractor” or “Vendor” refers to the party or parties contracting to perform the work to be done or materials to be furnished under the Contract; the legal representatives of such party or parties.

7. Intent

The intent of these specifications is to obtain a Contractor that will furnish all labor, supervision, tools, materials and anything else necessary to perform the services associated with the Gas Leak Detection Survey described in this proposal.

8. Contractor Qualifications

Proposers, if requested, must be able to present satisfactory evidence that they are capable and fully prepared with necessary capital, personnel, materials and equipment to do the work to be contracted under this proposal. The owner reserves the right to reject any proposal if the evidence submitted by, or investigation of, such proposer fails to satisfy the Owner that such proposer is properly qualified to carry out the obligations of the contract and to complete the work contemplated therein.

9. Certificate in Good Standing

Any corporation whose proposal is being considered for acceptance by the City may be required, if requested, to provide a “Certificate of Good Standing” from the Office of the Secretary of State for Connecticut.

10. Withdrawal of Proposal Submitted

Any proposal may be withdrawn prior to the designated date and time for receipt of proposals.

Proposals may be withdrawn ninety (90) days after the opening if no award has been made by the City. If the City does not award a contract within ninety (90) days after opening of the proposals, all proposals will be null and void, except this time may be extended on mutual agreement of the City and the lowest qualified vendor, as determined by the City.

11. Contract Execution

The firm(s) whose proposal(s) has/have been accepted by the City will be required to furnish all insurance certificates in the amounts specified in the insurance requirements document, within five days date of the notice of award.

The firm whose Proposal is accepted will be required to execute a contract or agreement, in substantially the form included in the RFP documents, on a date and time mutually agreed to by all parties. Once the contract is signed by both parties, the contractor(s) will be issued a Purchase Order.

The contract or agreement is for three calendar years, with an option to renew for 2029 and 2030, at the discretion of NPU.

12. Inclusion of Contract Provisions

The Vendor’s attention is directed to the form of this agreement, which, in addition to the Proposal Instructions, includes the proposal forms, general provisions, special provisions, federal/state provisions, specifications, measurement and payment provisions.

13. Safety All work done and all equipment used shall comply with all pertinent OSHA, Federal, State and local regulations, laws and ordinances affecting those employed and any affecting the conduct of the work.

Not later than thirty (30) after the date of contract award, the awarded contractor shall furnish proof to the Commissioner of the State of Connecticut Department of Labor that all employees performing manual labor on or in such public project, pursuant to such contract, have completed the 10-hour OSHA Construction Safety and Health course, or in the case of telecommunications workers, have completed at least 10 hours of training in accordance with

29 CFR 1910.268.

The Contractor or Vendor shall perform all work in accordance with NPU’s safety guidelines.

The State of Connecticut and all political subdivisions have adopted a zero tolerance policy for workplace violence. In accordance with Executive Order No. 16 issued by Governor John G.

Rowland, all contractors, subcontractors and vendors must comply with this policy.

14. Personnel Requirements

All work under this contract hall be performed by competent and proficient tradesmen employed by the contractor and under its supervision. Apprentices and helpers may be used, but only under the direct supervision of the job foreman.

15. Subcontractors

The Contractor shall not sublet any portion of the work without written permission from the City. In no case may it be more than forty-nine percent (49%) of the monetary value of the contract. The major units of the work shall be performed by the Contractor. If the Contractor sublets any part of the work, this does not relieve it or the bonding company of their liabilities and obligations to the City. There is no contractual relationship between any subcontractor and the City. NPU or The City deals only with the Contractor; subcontractors are recognized as employees of the Contractor.

The Contractor must not assign or dispose of its contract in any way without the consent of NPU. Disposal must be for cause.

16. Freedom of Information

All Proposals will be made available for public inspection, in accordance with the provisions of Connecticut General Statutes § 1-210, Freedom of Information. Copies of any information resulting from any Proposal opening are generally not available until a contract has been formally awarded.

17. Non-Collusion

The individual signing this Proposal hereby declares that no person or persons other than members of its organization are interested in this Proposal or in the contract proposed to be taken; that it is made without any connection to any other person or persons submitting a Proposal for the same work and is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud; that no person acting on behalf of or employed by the City of Norwich is directly or indirectly interested in the supplies or work to which they relate or will receive any part of the profit or any commission therefrom in any manner which is unethical or contrary to the best interests of the City of Norwich.

Request for Proposals RFP 26-38 Gas Leak Survey

Norwich Public Utilities – Natural Gas Division

Technical Specifications

1. Introduction/Project Description

Norwich Public Utilities (NPU), established in 1904, is a public utility company that provides natural gas, electric, water and wastewater services to the City of Norwich and surrounding communities. The City of Norwich is located in southeastern Connecticut and has a population of approximately 40,000. The NPU natural gas system consists of approximately 156 miles of distribution mains, 7,500 service lines, 5 gate stations, 9 district regulator stations, and 1 LNG facility, all serving approximately 9,800 natural gas customers.

NPU seeks proposals for qualified consultants/contractors to provide turnkey service to conduct and collect data for our annual walking, mobile, and winter cast iron gas leak and safety surveys for a period of up to five (5) years.

2. Walking Service Survey Overview

Each year NPU is required to survey between 4,200 and 4,900 natural gas meters and associated underground service lines. Approximately 1,500 of the total system meters are surveyed every year, comprised of services in business districts or services comprised of bare steel/higher risk materials. The remaining services are those that are surveyed every 3 years (36 months, not to exceed 39 months), assigned in 3-year cycles in logical geographic groupings.

Systemwide, 97% of all NPU gas services have a curb valve located at or near the curb line, which can provide quick and useful information in identifying the location of the service line. Of the approximate 7,500 service lines in the NPU system approximately 2,500 are services with indoor meter sets and 4,500 are services with outdoor meter sets. There are also approximately 500 service lines that have no meter and will eventually be abandoned at the main, however, until these services are formally abandoned at the main, they must be surveyed as well.

Each year, on average, the approximate number of indoor services required to be surveyed is 1,030 service lines with 1,900 total meters. The numbers for outdoor services are 1,560 service lines with 2,600 total meters. The actual number of service lines and meters to be surveyed will be determined annually by NPU and communicated to the contractor by March 1st of the survey year.

A walking service survey includes checking for leaks along the service line and header piping up to and including the meter with a combustible gas indicator (CGI). The location of all service lines will be provided to the leak survey contractor in the form of ESRI GIS shapefiles. If the location of the service cannot be determined by GIS data and/or site features the technician shall perform the survey utilizing an “x and box” pattern.

Very minor aboveground leaks that require simple tightening of a fitting will be corrected by the leak survey technician during the visit. The technician(s) assigned to the project will receive more training and guidance on expected repairs during project onboarding.

For pricing purposes. leaks that the survey technician will be expected to correct will take no longer than a few minutes per occurrence.

The walking service survey also includes checking for and documenting potential safety concerns other than leaks. These concerns (sometimes referred to as abnormal operating conditions (AOC’s) or abnormalities) include, but are not limited to:

1. Minor atmospheric corrosion (scrape and paint)

2. Moderate to severe atmospheric corrosion

3. Vegetation around the header/meter

4. Meter protection from vehicle damage required

5. Vent line issue (bug screen missing, outlet pointed upward, excessive length, etc.)

6. Service shut off valve unaccessible/damaged

7. Meter or vent outlet too close to source of ignition

8. Non-Hazardous Leak on outdoor header 10% LEL or less (NHL)

9. Curb Valve not found (for services with a curb valve)

10. Other

For consistency in reporting AOC’s will be assigned a designated acronym, determined by NPU, that the contractor’s data management application will use to document the common issues listed above. For non-common issues an “Other” field will be used and the technician will be required to provide more details in an accompanying field.

The walking service survey MUST visit every service designated to be surveyed in a given year between April 1st and June 30th of that year (first-pass period). NPU, and by extension the selected contractor, is subject to regulatory non-compliance, and possible civil penalties, if this timeline is not met. In the past it has taken more than one survey technician for at least part of the first-pass period to complete the entire first pass.

For services with an outdoor meter(s) the first visit will be the only visit, as no indoor access is required and the entire survey can be completed without customer involvement. For services with an indoor meter(s), the property must be visited and at a minimum the underground service line must be leak surveyed during the first-pass period. The survey technician will attempt to gain access to the indoor meter with a door knock at the time of the first visit, and if access is granted the first visit will be the only visit and the survey will be completed. If indoor access can’t be gained on the first visit, the outdoor leak survey portion will be completed and documented in the data management application and the property will be documented in the application as needing further action.

Each survey will require a picture be taken of each meter surveyed along with a picture showing the overall header piping and a close up of the regulator for non-low pressure services that have a regulator. The pictures must be electronically connected to the overall meter/service inspection. NPU currently stores inspection data on an electronic “dashboard” that is populated by .csv data sent by the contractor to NPU’s IT department. A screenshot of NPU’s current dashboard is attached in Figure 1 to indicate the information that surveys must capture at a minimum. NPU is receptive to other means of collecting, storing, and presenting survey data and pictures, however NPU must have possession of the data and not be dependent on second or third party data hosting. Respondents are encouraged to present alternatives for NPU’s consideration in this regard.

NPU currently does not require breadcrumb data on its walking service surveys, or other means of “proving” a service was walked, however regulatory requirements may be heading in the direction of requiring breadcrumbs or similar proving data, and therefore NPU is receptive to considering proposals that offer a solution to better documenting walking service surveys.

NPU’s current process of conducting walking service surveys, which the contractor is responsible for performing, is as follows:

1. NPU provides GIS data to contractor for loading into contractor’s data management application.

2. Contractor secures telephone numbers local to Norwich, CT and sets up call center for NPU customers to call to ask questions and/or schedule appointments.

3. An NPU approved notification postcard is printed and mailed by the contractor to all customers scheduled to have the gas service surveyed at least two (2) weeks prior to April 1st.

4. Contractor technicians onboard with NPU to review company procedures, expectations in interacting with customers, minor repairs expected to be performed by the technicians, etc.

5. Survey begins on or around April 1. Contractor is responsible for determining the order in which surveys takes place.

a. For services with outdoor meters the first visit is the only visit and the survey gets completed in one visit.

b. For services with indoor meters the underground portion of the service is leak surveyed and the technician attempts to gain access to the indoor portion of the service by knocking on the customer door.

• If the customer is home and lets the technician in to perform the remainder of the survey, the survey is completed and no further visits are required.

• If the customer is not home and/or does not let the technician in to conduct the remainder of the survey, the technician hangs an NPU approved door hanger with instructions to contact the contractor to schedule an inspection appointment at a future date. NPU strongly encourages the contractor schedule appointments after June 30th so that the first visit of all services can be completed without the interruption of scheduled visits (can be discussed further after project award). Services requiring a separate visit to inspect indoor equipment are labeled “No Access”. Contractor’s responsibilities for gaining access to No Access properties after the initial door knock is made and a door hanger is left is as follows:

• If no appointment has been scheduled by the customer within 2 weeks leaving the door hanger, an NPU approved postcard will be mailed with instructions on how to schedule an inspection.

• If no appointment has been scheduled by the customer within 2 weeks of sending the postcard, the contractor will attempt to reach the customer by phone to schedule an appointment.

• If still unsuccessful the service/meter will be considered “No Access” and the contractor will be entitled to 50% of the unit price for “Walking Service Survey – Inside Meter”. (See Bid Form)

• The contractor may make additional phone calls or door knock attempts than is required in the process indicated above in an attempt to gain access and secure the full price of completing the survey.

6. Contractor completes at least a first pass of all services required by June 30th.

7. After the first pass is completed, if mutually agreed upon, NPU and the contractor will review the No Access list and create a plan to gain access to these properties utilizing technician and customer service representative (CSR) hourly rates.

8. After the contractor has exhausted all efforts to access the “No Access” properties, these properties get transferred to NPU to gain access or shut off the gas service. At NPU’s request, the contractor shall provide call center services and access to the scheduling/survey software to maintain consistency in data collection. The price to provide call center services will be negotiated based on the number of No Access properties remaining. Providing access to scheduling/survey software shall be at no additional cost. NPU is responsible to provide its employees with compatible computer/tablet/phone devices to utilize software.

Figure 1 – NPU Walking Survey Documentation Dashboard Screenshot

3. Mobile Leak Survey Overview

NPU has approximately 156 miles of gas main that are leak surveyed each year, following the completion of the walking service survey and No Access clean up. The annual mobile survey typically begins around September 1 each year and finishes by the end of October. This is a general guideline and subject to change.

Most mains are under roadways, however a few miles of mains are inaccessible by mobile vehicle where the survey technician must walk over the main in order to complete the leak survey.

NPU will provide the contractor ESRI GIS shapefiles of all mains to be surveyed.

The mobile survey must be tracked and documented with “breadcrumbs” or other similar method to prove, through GPS evidence, that all gas mains were surveyed within designated distance limits, typically sub-meter when not obstructed by canopy.

4. Cast Iron Winter Mobile Survey Overview

NPU currently has approximately 6 miles of cast iron mains remaining in its natural gas system that must be surveyed at intervals not exceeding 15 calendar days from December 1st through April 1st.

All cast iron mains are under existing roadways.

NPU will provide the contractor ESRI GIS shapefiles of all mains to be surveyed.

The cast iron winter mobile survey must be tracked and documented with “breadcrumbs” or other similar method to prove, through GPS evidence, that all gas mains were surveyed within designated distance limits, typically sub-meter when not obstructed by canopy.

5. Leak Response

All contractor personnel will be trained in and provided access to all NPU company specific procedures, including leak identification, response and classification procedures, prior to starting any walking or mobile survey.

When a survey technician discovers an underground leak (walking or mobile survey) the technician shall investigate the leak area utilizing a CGI to quantify gas readings in barholes, underground structures, near foundations, etc. and grade the leak in accordance with NPU Leak Classification procedures. For Grade 1 leaks the technician will immediately contact the NPU Control Room and will remain on scene until emergency and/or NPU personnel arrive. The technician shall take all necessary steps in accordance with NPU procedures to protect life, then property. For Grade 2 and

Grade 3 leaks the survey technician will contact designated NPU personnel either after the leak is graded while in the field, or at the end of the day, as agreed to during onboarding.

All leaks shall be documented on NPU provided leak sheets. All leaks require barhole surveys to be completed and documented to justify the assigned leak grade. Leak sheets are reviewed by NPU supervisors – if documentation is found to be incomplete or missing information the survey technician shall immediately correct the error(s) and omission(s) at the contractor’s cost.

6. Operator Qualification Requirements

All leak survey technicians shall possess and maintain the following Northeast Gas Association (NGA) Operator Qualifications (OQ):

• NGA-CT-06A Inspecting for Atmospheric Corrosion, Incl. Measurement of Wall Loss

• NGA-CT-18A.2 Conducting Gas Leakage Surveys (Optical Infrared)

• NGA-CT-18A.3 Conducting Gas Leakage Surveys (Laser)

• NGA-CT-18A.4 Conducting Gas Leakage Surveys (Catalytic/Semiconductor)

• NGA-CT-20A Investigating Leak and Odor Complaints (Inside and Outside)

• NGA-CT-20D.1 Leak Classification (Grades 1, 2, and 3)

• NGA-CT-70 Basic Abnormal Operating Conditions and Properties of Natural Gas

• NGA-CT-85 Meter Assembly Abnormal Operating Conditions

Additional OQ tasks may be required to meet revised OQ programs.

7. Quality Control/Quality Assurance (QA/QC) Requirements

The contractor is responsible for ensuring that all surveys are performed on time and in accordance with procedures and specifications.

Contractor QA/QC shall include ensuring that all required walking service survey documentation fields are completed and all required photographs are taken and attached to the appropriate service/meter. Figure 1 herein indicates what data is to be collected and QA/QC’d.

For mobile surveys the contractor is responsible for assuring that all mains have been surveyed and that the breadcrumbs (or other tracking method) proves that the survey vehicle and/or technician surveyed over the main and at travel speeds within the specifications of the NPU approved survey equipment. Contractor shall provide electronic (ESRI format) data that shows when a survey was performed, who completed the survey, and how fast the mobile vehicle was traveling at each breadcrumb.

If respondents propose alternate methods of performing, collecting, and/or documenting walking or mobile surveys, detailed QA/QC protocols must be included for NPU review and approval.

8. Equipment

The contractor’s equipment shall be of good quality and maintained in good working condition to preclude any unnecessary breakdowns causing job hold-ups, as would be caused by improper maintenance. NPU reserves the right to inspect the equipment at any time during the execution of the project and require upgrades/repairs as NPU deems necessary to assure quality results. The Owner is not responsible to pay for delays resulting from equipment malfunctions.

Walking Service Survey equipment shall include a combustible gas indicator (CGI), such as Bascom Turner Rover/Explorer, or equivalent.

Mobile Survey equipment shall include optical infrared absorption spectroscopy, such as Sensit VMD, or equivalent; or mobile laser detection system (MLDS).

Respondents shall list in their proposals the equipment proposed to be used in the project.

All equipment is to be utilized and calibrated in accordance with manufacturer’s specifications. Calibration records shall be provided to NPU at least monthly.

Contractor payment requests will not be processed if calibration records are missing or are incomplete.

The contractor must utilize a global positioning system (GPS) that meets the following requirements:

a. Data must be delivered in an ESRI compatible format.

b. GPS locations collected at sub-meter accuracy.

c. Data delivered in State Plane NAD 83 horizontal datum.

d. Unique identifiers shall reference back to NPU’s gas distribution GIS data.

9. Call Center Requirements

The contractor is responsible for providing call center services that NPU customers can utilize to respond to postcard mailings, door hangers, etc. and to ask questions and schedule appointments.

The call center shall utilize a telephone number local to Norwich, CT for customers to call into and from which contractor CSR’s will use to reach out to NPU customers.

Local telephone numbers are more likely to be utilized than out of area or out of state telephone numbers.

The call center, at minimum, should have two (2) CSR’s for inbound and outbound calling and scheduling with the ability to add additional CSR’s when necessary. The call center shall be open from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm on normal working days and have a 24-hour message taking service for non-working hours.

10. Other Information

All communications between the contractor and NPU customers shall be courteous, respectful, and professional. Contractor personnel shall not engage in arguments, or speak harshly or sarcastically to any NPU customer. If an interaction between contractor personnel and an NPU customer turns negative, the contractor personnel shall politely excuse him/herself from the conversation and contact the NPU project manager immediately.

All personnel will be subject to DOT Drug & Alcohol testing per 49 CFR Part 199. Drug & Alcohol program documentation shall be provided to NPU prior to bid award and upon any personnel changes during the project. Drug & Alcohol documentation provided prior to any personnel changes. The contractor shall notify NPU immediately upon the notification of any failures of personnel assigned to the NPU project. The contractor shall provide annual testing data/reports to NPU upon request.

The contractor shall assign a project manager to the NPU project to serve as the point of contact for any questions NPU may have. The resume of the assigned project manager shall be provided with the proposal.

All personnel performing surveys will have a minimum of one (1) year of experience performing mobile and walking gas leakage surveys, or similar natural gas industry work.

The contractor shall at all times have a minimum of two (2) qualified employees available to perform the work of this project. The contractor may opt to have only one person working the project, but must have a second person continuously available in the event the first becomes unavailable. Failure to complete surveys within the specified timeframes due to personnel unavailability may result in NPU pursuing liquidated damages.

NPU may request occasional off schedule mobile leak surveys to assist with leak management, blast surveys, and other unanticipated events utilizing hourly unit pricing (see Leak Classification/Pin-Pointing on the Bid Cost Form). The contractor is not required to oblige such requests if scheduling does not allow.

NPU has a strong preference to be able to monitor survey progress through a real-time web-based operational dashboard, or similar.

Survey technicians will tailgate briefly each morning with NPU Field Service staff at 7:00 am at NPU headquarters at 16 South Golden Street, Norwich, CT to discuss any challenges encountered in the prior day, review any procedural questions, and to generally keep lines of communication open.

11. Basis of Award

This RFP includes a Bid Cost Form that respondents must use to tabulate minimum project requirements.

The award of this project will NOT be based solely on the Total Bid Price listed at the bottom of the Bid Cost Form. Respondents are highly encouraged to include in their proposals services and capabilities that they can offer that exceeds and/or improves what has been specified herein.

The basis of award will be on a 100-point scoring system as follows:

• 60 points based on proposal price. Lowest price qualified proposal will receive 60 points. Subsequent proposals will receive a weighted score based on the separation in proposal pricing from the lowest price qualified proposal.

• 15 points for quality of data capture and management capabilities.

• 15 points for QA/QC capabilities.

• 10 points for references and experience of company and personnel assigned to project.

Respondents are directed to pay close attention to items 10-14, inclusive, in the “Statement of Bidder’s Qualifications” section of the bid documents. Responses to these questions, along with the Bid Price, will be utilized to award the project. Detailed and comprehensive responses to these questions are strongly encouraged.

A 3-person panel consisting of the NPU Gas Integrity Manager, Construction Manager, and GIS Manager will evaluate and score all received proposals.

STATEMENT OF BIDDER'S QUALIFICATIONS

All questions must be answered fully and the data provided must be clear and comprehensive.

This statement must be notarized. If necessary, questions may be answered on separate attached sheets. The Bidder may submit additional information than what is listed below.

1. Name of Bidder:

2. Permanent main office address:

3. When organized:

4. If a corporation, where incorporated:

5. How many years have you been engaged in the contracting business under your present firm or trade name?

6. Contracts on hand: (Schedule these, showing amount of each contract and the appropriate dates of completion)

7. General character of work performed by your company:

8. Have you ever failed to complete any work awarded to you? If so, where and why?

9. Have you ever defaulted on a contract? If so, where and why?

10. List up to three (3) projects similar to this that your organization completed within the last 5 years? The contractor shall attach a summary of such work that identifies:

• Name of Owner

• Date of Work

• Contract Amount

• Brief Description of Work

• Contact Information of Owner Reference

11. List company personnel who will be assigned to the project. Include at a minimum the Project Manager and Survey Technicians and include the following information:

• Name and Title of Employee

• Years of Experience in Current Role

• Years Employed by the Company

12. List the equipment proposed to be used in the performance of this contract.

• Make/Model of preferred CGI

• Make/Model of preferred Mobile Survey Equipment

• Other Equipment

13. Provide a detailed description of the proposed data capture and management plan to be used in the project. Include if a real-time web-based dashboard will be made available for NPU to monitor project progress. Indicate if providing the dashboard will be at additional expense, and what that expense will be.

14. Provide a detailed description of how quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) will be provided to ensure that surveys are completed in accordance with NPU standards and the specifications herein. Include advanced QA/QC measures that can be offered, such as, but not limited to, walking service survey breadcrumbing (or similar). NPU is quite interested to learn about any advance QA/QC measures that can be provided, either as part of the project unit pricing or at additional cost.

15. Will you, upon request, submit a confidential detailed financial statement and furnish any other information that may be required by the OWNER?

16. The undersigned hereby authorizes and requests any person, firm, or corporation to furnish any information requested by the Owner or representative in verification of the recitals comprising this Statement of Bidder's Qualifications.

Company Name:

Name:

Signature:

Title:

PROPOSED SUBCONTRACTORS

The bidder shall list the names of all subcontractors proposed to be utilized in execution of the contract. Attach additional sheets if needed.

If none, write "None"

Description of Work __________________________________________________________

Proposed Subcontractor, Name ________________________________________________

Address ___________________________________________________________________

This is to certify that all names of the above-mentioned subcontractors are submitted with full knowledge and consent of the respective parties.

The Bidder warrants that none of the proposed subcontractors has any conflict of interest in respect to this contract.

(Bidder Printed Name)

(Signature and Title of Authorized Signatory)

Bid Cost Form RFP 26-38 Line Item Description Est. Total Per Unit Price Subtotal Mobile Leak Survey 156 miles $ /mile $

Cast Iron Winter Mobile Survey 6 miles (per survey)

$ /mile $

Leak Classification\Pin-Pointing 75 Leaks $ /leak $

Public & Residential Walking Services Survey - Outside Meter

- Price includes 1 meter.

- Price includes pre-survey post card.

1560 services $ /service $

Public & Residential Walking Services Survey - Inside Meter

- Price includes 1 meter.

- Price includes pre-survey post card.

- Price includes all communication requirements outlined in Section 2 of the

Technical Specifications.

- After all required steps are performed and no access was gained contractor may invoice for 50% of price.

1030 services $ /service $

Additional Meter (Inside or Outside)

- Price includes pre-survey post card.

- Price includes all communication requirements outlined in Section 2 of the

Technical Specifications.

1910 Meters $ /meter $

Header repair

- Price includes permanent or temporary repairs that can be completed within

10 minutes at a location.

30 repairs $ /repair $

Total Bid Price $ Note: All requirements outlined in bid are inclusive to pricing above including but not limited to equipment, operational dashboard, digital documentation, data deliverables, billing invoice reporting, project management and customer service.

Technician hourly rate For work performed outside of scope

$ /hr

CSR hourly rate For work performed outside of scope

$ /hr

The undersigned has checked carefully all the above figures, reviewed and fully understands the qualifications and performance requirements of the bid, and acknowledges that the Owner will not be responsible for any errors or omissions on the part of the undersigned in making up this bid.

Bidder understands that the Owner reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any informality in the bidding. The bidder agrees that this bid shall be good and may not be withdrawn for a period of 60 calendar days after the scheduled closing time for receiving bids.

Bidder understands that the Owner reserves the right to perform any portions of the above unit price work on prospective projects without invalidating this bid.

Respectfully submitted:

By (Signature)

(Printed Name)

(Title)

(Business Address)

(SEAL - if bid is by a corporation) (Telephone Number)

(Email address)

NON-COLLUSION AFFIDAVIT OF PRIME BIDDER

State of ) ) ss.

County of )

, being first duly sworn, deposes and says that:

(1) He is (owner, partner, officer, representative or agent) of

, the Bidder that has submitted the attached bid;

(2) He is fully informed respecting the preparation and contents of the attached Bid and of all pertinent circumstances respecting such Bid;

(3) Such Bid is genuine and is not a collusive or sham Bid;

(4) Neither the said Bidder nor any of its officers, partners, owners, agents, representatives, employees or parties in interest, including this affiant, has in any way colluded, conspired, connived or agreed, directly or indirectly with any other Bidder, firm or person to submit a collusive or sham Bid in connection with the Contract for which the attached Bid has been submitted or to refrain from Bidding in connection with such Contract, or has in any manner, directly or indirectly, sought by agreement or collusion or communication or conference with any other Bidder, firm or person to fix the price or prices in the attached Bid or of any other Bidder, or to fix any overhead, profit or cost element of the Bid price or the Bid price of any other Bidder or to secure through any collusion, conspiracy, connivance or unlawful agreement any advantage against the Owner or any person interested in the proposed Contract; and

(5) The price or prices quoted in the attached Bid are fair and proper and are not tainted by any collusion, conspiracy, connivance or unlawful agreement on the part of the Bidder or any of its agents, representatives, owners, employees, or parties in interest, including this affiant.

(Signed)

Subscribed and sworn to before me this day of 20

My Commission expires , 20 .

NPU Minimum Insurance Requirements

The Contractor shall comply with every condition herein. The Contractor shall provide and maintain the insurance coverage set forth below during the term of its agreement with NPU. Any Subcontractor(s) hired by the Contractor shall maintain insurance coverage equal to that required of the Contractor. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to assure compliance with this provision. NPU accepts no responsibility arising from the conduct, or lack of conduct, of the Subcontractor. The insurance requirements contained herein supersede any other insurance requirements referenced in the bid documents.

Exceptions to the above requirements are subject to the sole discretion of Norwich Public Utilities, based on the size and scope of the project and associated risk exposures to Norwich Public Utilities.

With reference to the foregoing insurance requirements, Contractor shall specifically endorse applicable insurance policies as follows:

A. NPU shall be included as an additional insured with respect to General Liability, Automobile Liability, and if applicable, Pollution Liability and excess/umbrella liability, all on a separate endorsement (s).

B. A waiver of subrogation in favor of NPU shall be contained in the Workers’ Compensation and all liability policies (except on the Professional Liability policy) and must be provided through a separate endorsement.

C. All insurance policies shall be endorsed to the effect that NPU will receive at least thirty (30) days' written notice prior to cancellation or non-renewal of the insurance. Contractor is ultimately responsible for notice of cancellation should its carrier be unable to comply with the above requirement.

D. All insurance policies, which include NPU as an additional insured, must be endorsed to read as primary and non-contributory coverage regardless of the application of other insurance.

E. All insurance policies shall be endorsed to require the insurer to immediately notify NPU of any material change in the insurance coverage that would cause non-compliance with the specific provisions required herein, as well as exhaustion of any aggregate limits.

F. All liability policies shall contain no cross-liability exclusions or insured versus insured restrictions.

G. Required limits may be satisfied by any combination of primary and umbrella liability insurances.

H. Contractor may maintain reasonable and customary deductibles, subject to approval by NPU.

I. Insurance must be purchased from insurers having a minimum A.M. Best rating of A- / VIII.

J. Contractual Liability under the General Liability policy must be maintained covering the Contractor’s obligations contained in the contract. Certificates of Insurance shall be prepared and executed by the insurance company or its authorized agent and shall contain provisions representing and warranting the required endorsements and insurance coverages according to requirements and instructions contained herein.

K. A valid Certificate of Insurance verifying each of the coverages required above shall be issued directly to NPU within ten (10) business days after contract award and prior to starting any work by the successful contractor’s insurance agent of record or insurance company. Also, prior to the start of any work and at the same time that the Certificate of Insurance is issued and sent to NPU, all required endorsements identified in sections A, B, C and D, above shall be sent to NPU.

Contractor shall, at its own expense, maintain on all of its operations, the following coverage and limits of insurance:

The following types of insurance shall be provided before starting and until final completion and acceptance of the Work and expiration of the guarantee period provided for in the Agreement.

The limits of liability for insurance required shall provide coverage for not less than the following amounts or greater where required by Laws and Regulations:

1. Workers’ Compensation, Employers’ Liability, and related coverages:

a. State: Statutory

b. Voluntary Compensation Same as State Workers’ (by any exempt entities) Compensation

c. Employer’s Liability: $1,000,000 Each Accident

$1,000,000 Disease, Policy Limit $1,000,000 Disease, Each Employee

d. The policy must contain a waiver of subrogation in favor of NPU, executed by the insurance company. If there is an exposure of injury to Contractor’s employees under the U.S. Longshoremen’s and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, the Jones Act or under laws, regulations or statutes applicable to work on, next to, or above water, coverage shall be included for such injuries or claims.

2. General Liability coverage, including bodily injury, personal injury, sickness, disease or death, injury to or destruction of property, including loss of use resulting therefrom, damage for premises/operations, products/completed operations, independent contractors and contractual liability (specifically covering the indemnity), broad-form property damage, and underground, explosion and collapse hazard. The policy or policies must be on “an occurrence” basis (“claims made” coverage is not acceptable”.

a. Bodily Injury:

$1,000,000 Each Occurrence $2,000,000 Aggregate

b. Property Damage:

$1,000,000 Each Occurrence $2,000,000 Aggregate

c. Personal/Advertising Injury, (with Employment Exclusion deleted if applicable):

$1,000,000 Each Occurrence $2,000,000 Aggregate

d. If General Liability policy includes a General Aggregate, such General Aggregate shall not be less than $2,000,000.

Per Project Aggregate shall also apply.

The policy must contain a waiver of subrogation in favor of NPU, executed by the insurance company.

3. Commercial Automobile Liability (owned, non-owned, or hired autos):

a. Bodily Injury and Property Damage: $1,000,000 combined single limit

4. Umbrella/Excess Liability coverage (over commercial general liability, commercial automobile liability, and employer liability): This may be satisfied by having the underlying liability limits that equal or exceed the combined amount of the underlying liability limits that equal or exceed the combined amount of the underlying liability limits and umbrella coverage.

NPU shall have discretion in determining or increasing the Umbrella/Excess Liability coverage requirements depending on the scope and/or size of the work performed by Contractor with the review and approval of the Contractor.

$2,000,000 Over Primary Insurance $10,000 Retention

5. Professional Liability coverage:

$1,000,000 per claim $1,000,000 annual aggregate

6. Property Insurance: Contractor shall be responsible for maintaining any and all property insurance on their own equipment and shall require all subcontractors to do likewise.

7. Pollution Liability, if applicable;

If Contractors or their Subcontractors are required to perform hazardous material operations such as asbestos containing materials, containing soil, etc., they must, in addition to the above requirements, carry a "Contractor's Pollution Liability" policy with limits not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and not less than $1,000,000 aggregate for bodily injury, personal injury and property damage, naming Contractor as additional insured. If Contractor or their subcontractors haul, hazardous waste they must carry Automobile Liability insurance with $1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence for bodily injury and property damage applicable to all hazardous waste hauling vehicles and include the MCS 90 endorsement.

NPU shall have sole discretion in increasing the Pollution Liability coverage requirements depending on the scope and/or size of the work performed by Contractor.

CONTRACT FOR SERVICES

THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into this day of Month and Year, by and between Vendor Name, Address, City, State, Zip Code, hereinafter called Contractor or Vendor, and Norwich Public Utilities, 16 South Golden Street, Norwich, CT 06360, hereinafter called “NPU.”

WHEREAS NPU desires to enter a contract for services, and the Contractor represents itself as competent and qualified to accomplish the specific requirements of this contract to the satisfaction of NPU, therefore this contract is entered into under the following terms and conditions:

1. The Contractor agrees to perform the services contained in Bid # and project title. The terms and conditions as contained in this Contract for Services shall take precedence over any conflicting terms as may be attached hereto.

2. Term of the Contract:

3. Contract Price: NPU shall pay the Contractor

4. Liquidated Damages: In the event the Contractor fails to complete the work within the time limit or extended time limit agreed upon, as more particularly set forth in the Contract Documents, liquidated damages shall be paid to NPU in the amount of $ per calendar day.

5. Contract Documents: The Contract Documents consist of this Agreement, the Project Description, the Standard Bid and Contract Terms and Conditions, the Instructions to Bidders, the Contractor’s bid as accepted by the City, the General and Special Conditions of the Work, the Technical Specifications, the drawings and all Addenda attached hereto.

The Contract Documents are complementary and what is called for by anyone shall be as binding as if called for by all. In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between the provisions of this Agreement and the provisions of any of the other Contract Documents, the provisions of this Agreement shall prevail.

Reference to standard specifications, manuals or codes of any technical society, organization or association, or to the laws or regulations of any governmental authority, whether such reference be specific or by implication, shall mean the edition of the standard specification, manual, code or laws or regulations identified in the reference. In the event a particular edition is not identified, the reference shall mean the latest edition in effect at the time of receipt of the bid. However, no provision of any referenced standard specification, manual or code (whether or not specifically incorporated by reference in the Contract Documents) shall change the duties and responsibilities of the City, the Contractor or any of their consultants, agents or employees from those set forth in the Contract Documents.

6. Obligations And Liability Of The Contractor: The Contractor shall, as herein specified, do all the work and perform and furnish all the labor, services, materials, equipment, plant, machinery, apparatus, appliances, tools, supplies and all…