Specs_for_Sign_Removal_Contract_3.17_final_.pdf

SPECIFICATIONS FOR REMOVAL AND DISPOSAL

OF ILLEGAL OUTDOOR ADVERTISING DEVICES

1. Description:

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is seeking multiple Contractors to remove and dispose of illegal outdoor advertising devices typically located on private property within

660 feet of the State’s right-of-way line. TDOT intends to award the contract for a period of 60 months.

2. Scope:

A. Equipment/Labor: Contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, equipment, and vehicles necessary to satisfactorily perform the required work. This can include temporary site security as well as creation of temporary access to the site, as needed. Contractor shall work with the State to develop safety and traffic management plans, as needed. All vehicles used on the project shall be equipped with proper flashing safety lights visible from all directions consistent with applicable MUTCD standards. All resources deployed must align with the rate card submitted and accepted under Section H. No substitutions or additions outside the approved rate card will be permitted except as allowed under the reimbursement provisions in Section H.

B. Sign Removal and Disposal: Contractor shall possess demonstrated experience performing removal of vertical structures or materials requiring elevated access, controlled dismantling, safe handling of debris, and the proper disconnection or management of any associated electrical components. Contractor shall properly direct all employees and subcontractors with their assigned tasks to ensure the removal is accomplished in an effective and efficient manner. All on-site Contractor personnel shall have visible, Contractor-furnished identification on at all times. Contractor-furnished identification may be a shirt, hat, vest, lanyard, badge or other form of identification acceptable to the State. Contractor shall be required to completely dismantle (to ground level) existing outdoor advertising devices deemed to be illegal by the Outdoor

Advertising Office. Sign support structures may include, but are not limited to, wooden posts, concrete/brick, and steel monopoles. Sign face types may include, but are not limited to, static vinyl, tri-vision mechanical, and digital LED. Contractor shall be responsible for permanently disconnecting all utilities servicing the device location.

Contractor shall be required to fill all remaining holes with appropriate fill material to grade level. Contractor may be required to replace sod or vegetation. Contractor shall be required to completely dispose of the device/material once it has been dismantled.

Bidder shall provide a brief description of one project completed within the past three years demonstrating capability to remove vertical structures or similar materials, supported by documentation such as photos, invoices, permits, or completion records.

Meetings: Contractor shall be required to attend a coordination meeting with

Headquarters Outdoor Advertising Office and Region Operations team prior to each occurrence of sign removal work. TDOT Outdoor Advertising Office will coordinate scheduling of the meetings which may be conducted in-person or virtually. Contract specifications, procedural expectations, site-specific requirements and any pricing or reimbursement considerations (as outlined in Section H) will be reviewed during each meeting.

C. Time and Frequency: The frequency at which the work will be required will vary greatly.

Therefore, Contractor shall be available at the request of TDOT. Contractor will receive written notification from TDOT no less than five (5) business days prior to the day the work is to begin. Contractor must acknowledge the work order within two (2) business days and the work shall be performed within ten (10) business days following the beginning work date. TDOT may, at its sole discretion, adjust these timeframes in writing on a case-by-case basis in the event of circumstances beyond the Contractor’s control.

D. Location: Contractor shall be required to perform the work on a Statewide level.

E. Subcontractors: Use of subcontractors to fulfill the work order requires prior approval by

TDOT. Contractor shall be responsible and liable for the work and actions of any preapproved subcontractor used to fulfill the scope of the contract.

1. The Contractor shall submit a list of proposed subcontractors as part of the bid package for TDOT review and approval. This list should reflect anticipated needs for the duration of the contract.

2. To ensure continuity of work while minimizing administrative burden, the Contractor may request approval for additions or removals to the subcontractor list no more than once per quarter, unless otherwise approved by TDOT. Requests must include justification and be submitted in the format specified by TDOT at the time of request.

TDOT reserves the right to establish additional procedures during the contract term to ensure compliance.

3. Routine subcontractor services are considered part of normal contract performance;

only non-recurring resources necessary for a particular removal are subject to reimbursement under Section H.2. When preparing the rate card, bidders should account for resources available through subcontractors.

F. Pricing and Payment Framework: This section outlines how pricing will be established and payments processed, including rate card requirements, reimbursement requirements, bid evaluation, work order procedures, and invoicing rules.

1. Rate Card Submission

a. Contractor shall submit a comprehensive rate card listing all labor roles, vehicles, tools, equipment, and any other resources the contractor has and plans to deploy throughout the contract term, ensuring inclusion of all resources that may be required for future removal requests.

b. “Resources” refers to all items represented on the rate card. The rate card will govern all pricing for the contract term; no additions will be allowed post-award.

2. Materials and Rentals Reimbursement Requirements

a. Materials and rentals not listed on the rate card may be reimbursed at cost plus

15% markup.

b. Materials are defined as consumable resources required for the specific job and not tools or equipment with a useful life beyond a single job or considered normal tools of the trade.

c. Rentals are defined as temporary use of equipment or services necessary for the job that are not part of the contractor’s standard inventory.

d. Requests for reimbursement and associated justifications and cost estimates must be made during the coordination meeting and included on the work order for

TDOT approval prior to work commencement.

3. Bid Evaluation

a. Contractor shall provide cost estimates for the removal locations outlined in the solicitation materials.

b. In addition to submitting line-item bids for each location, the contractor shall prepare a unique work order for each removal occurrence that demonstrates compliance with the provisions of this section, including use of rate card resources and any items referenced in section H.4. An example work order template is included in the solicitation materials for reference.

4. Work Orders

a. TDOT will issue a work order for each removal occurrence, identifying the location and scope of work. TDOT may provide a standardized work order template or accept a contractor-supplied format, subject to TDOT approval.

b. The contractor is responsible for determining the resources and quantities required to complete the removal and calculating the total cost using the rate card submitted and accepted as part of the contract.

c. Requests for reimbursement of materials or resource rentals and associated justifications and cost estimates must be made during the coordination meeting and included on the work order for TDOT approval prior to work commencement.

d. The contractor shall submit the work order, inclusive of all required elements and pricing, to TDOT for final review within 24 hours of the coordination meeting and receive TDOT approval prior to performing any work.

5. Invoicing

a. Invoicing must match or be lower than the rate-card quoted quantities for resources. Materials and rentals will be reimbursed at actual cost plus 15% markup (see provision 7.1 of the terms and conditions), and final invoiced amounts for these items may not exceed 10% of the approved estimates provided on the work order. Overages beyond this variance will not be accepted and may result in non-payment for the excess amount.

b. Payment will be made per sign removal upon TDOT approval of completed work and receipt of an undisputed invoice in accordance with the invoicing requirements in Terms and Conditions section 6.4.

G. Award Methodology: TDOT will make multiple awards under this solicitation to all responsive and responsible Bidders.

1. Vendor Prioritization: Awarded contractors will be assigned a priority ranking based on total evaluated cost, with the lowest-cost bidder designated as Contractor A and subsequent contractors ranked in ascending order (Contractor B, Contractor C, etc.).

TDOT may deem a bid non-responsive if pricing reflects a material imbalance or demonstrates anomalies suggesting an inability or unwillingness to perform in accordance with these specifications. For evaluation purposes, any bid may be subject to additional review and may be excluded from consideration if deemed unreasonable.

2. Work Order Assignment Process:

a. TDOT will first offer each Work Order to Contractor A.

b. If Contractor A does not acknowledge the Work Order offer within 48 hours of initial contact or is unable to perform the work in accordance with contract requirements, TDOT will document the reason and proceed to the next contractor in priority order. This process will continue sequentially until a contractor accepts and performs the work.

c. If a contractor has an outstanding Work Order that is overdue, TDOT may bypass that contractor for subsequent assignments until the overdue work is completed.

Contractor performance will be reviewed based on the portfolio of completed Work

Orders. A demonstrated pattern of non-compliance with the requirements of these specifications may result in contract termination.

3. Estimated Spend and Contract Liability Determination: The State anticipates cumulative spend of approximately $900,000.00 for the services described. The highest‑scoring proposer is expected to receive an award with a maximum liability of

70% of the estimated spend ($630,000.00), with the remaining 30% ($270,000.00) split evenly between all additional awarded bidders. These estimates are non‑binding and do not guarantee any minimum purchase.