Stewart Septic Tank RFP.docx

STEWART COUNTY: REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

23h-y-128-1-6356 CDBG SEPTIC SYSTEMS

PROPOSALS DUE:

9/16/2025 @ 2:00pm

Stewart County Board of Commissioners Request for Proposals Septic Tank System Award Number: 23h-y-128-1-6356 Due Date: 9/16/2025

PURPOSE

Stewart County Board of Commissioners is accepting sealed competitive proposals from several licensed, certified and qualified septic tank installers to furnish all labor, tools, materials and equipment to replace at least 6 existing septic systems and drain fields and install new septic systems with drain fields through open trench construction in Dan Brinson area of Stewart County. Competitive sealed proposals will be received at the Stewart County Commission Office, 1764 Broad Street, Lumpkin, GA, until, but no later than 9/16/2025 at 2:00pm, at which time said sealed proposals will be publicly opened and bid amounts will be read aloud. Stewart County is not party to this contract and individual homeowner contracts will be required. Stewart County is responsible for the oversite and funding of each individual contract. Comment by Grant Richardson: Should this state: be publicly opened and bid amounts will be read aloud?

One (1) original and one (1) copies of required proposal documents must be submitted in a sealed envelope marked "SEPTIC TANK SYSTEMS – STEWART COUNTY CDBG 23h-y-128-1-6356”.

Proposals may be withdrawn by written request only if the request is received prior to the time and date set for the opening of proposals. Negligence on the part of the proposer in preparing the proposal confers no right of withdrawal or modification of the proposal after proposal has been opened. No proposal may be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days after the time and date of opening of proposals.

Stewart County reserves the exclusive right to determine which Proposer should be chosen to contract with individual homeowners. Stewart County also reserves the right to waive any irregularity or informality in a proposal and accept or reject any item or combination of items, when to do so would benefit Stewart County. Also, Stewart County may reject proposals that do not contain all elements and information requested. Stewart County will not be liable for any cost/losses incurred by proposers throughout this process. Stewart County does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability.

The Proposer will indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Stewart County from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, and expenses including, but not limited to, fees and charges of attorneys and court and arbitration costs, arising out of or resulting from the negligent acts, negligent omissions, willful misconduct, or reckless misconduct of the Proposer or anyone for whom the Proposer is responsible.

SCOPE

The Stewart County Board of Commissioners is soliciting proposals to replace up to 6 of existing septic systems and drain fields and install new septic systems with drain fields through open trench construction and furnish owner with a material and labor warranty for this project, clean up area, haul trash and debris from job site. The contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, tools and materials required to complete this project. See detailed scope of work and project description in APPENDIX A (attached).

SPECIFICATIONS

1. Condition of Items All septic tanks and connections shall be new, in first class condition, as determined by Stewart County.

2. Workmanship and Inspection All work under the resulting contracts shall be performed in accordance with the Georgia Department of Health’s Manual for on-Site Sewage Management Systems.

Further, the County Health Department will inspect sites prior to issuing construction permits. No person may backfill or use an on-site sewage management system until a final inspection has been made by the County Board of Health, and written approval (permit) has been issued by the County Health Department.

Any inspection by the County Health Department does not relieve the Contractor from any responsibility regarding defects or other failures to meet the contract requirements.

3. Cleaning Up The Contractor(s) shall at all times keep the adjacent areas of the work area free from rubbish and the accumulation of any waste materials.

4. Safety All contractors and subcontractors performing services in the County are required and shall comply with all Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), State and County Safety and Occupational Health Standards and any other applicable rules and regulations. Also, all contractors and subcontractors shall be held responsible for the safety of their employees and any unsafe acts or conditions that may cause injury or damage to any persons or property within and around the work site area under each individual contract.

5. Incidental and Consequential Damages No proposer may require contractual language limiting or eliminating liability for incidental and consequential damages.

Each individual contract with the successful proposer will contain the following contract terms and conditions: Comment by Glenn Misner: Brittney, please provide an opinion as to applicability of DB and other federal provision mentioned by Grant in his comment

1. Contract Quantities The quantities specified in this contract are estimated only. They do not indicate the actual quantity which may be ordered, since such volume will depend upon requirements which develop during the contract period. Quantities shown shall not be construed to represent any amount which the homeowner shall be obligated to purchase under the contract, or relieve the Contractor of his obligation to fill all orders as specified in the contract. NO PROPOSAL WILL BE CONSIDERED WHICH STIPULATES THAT HOMEOWNERS SHALL GUARANTEE TO ORDER A SPECIFIC QUANTITY.

2. Schedule Proposers shall provide, with their proposal, a proposed schedule for the project. Failure to include the schedule may be ample cause for rejection of proposal as non-responsive. The actual timing for this project shall be coordinated with a Project Manager, which will be announced when the notice to proceed with individual contracts is awarded.

3. Delays If a delay is foreseen, the Contractor shall give ample notice to the homeowners and county. The homeowner has the right to approve extending individual contract completion dates if the county determines the reasons are valid. Contractor must keep the Homeowners and county advised at all times of status of order. Default in contracted completion time (without accepted reasons) or failure to meet specifications, authorizes the County to purchase supplies elsewhere and charge full increase in cost and handling to defaulting Contractor on behalf of the homeowner. Additional time for excusable delays will be addressed through a Change Order extending the length of contract specified in the individual contract. Comment by Glenn Misner: Additional time for excusable delay will be addressed through a Change Order extending the length of contract specified in the individual contract.

4. License Requirement All septic tank contractors doing business in Stewart County are required to hold a current valid Georgia business license and must be a certified septic system company in Georgia that is in good standing with the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH).

5. Insurance

A. Liability. Comment by Grant Richardson: This is the only insurance requirement I found in the CDBG recipients manual. Do we need all of the other insurance requirements? Comment by Brittney Hickom: This is sufficient.

A minimum coverage of $25,000 property and $50,000 bodily injury coverage must be maintained.

B. Indemnity.

The contractor shall be responsible for damages they may cause due to their negligence.

6. Exemption from Taxes The Contractor shall not charge the Homeowner directly for any sales or excise tax. Funding from the County is exempt from State Sales Tax. Tax Exemption Certificates indicating the County’s tax exempt status will be furnished by the County on request. The Contractor shall be responsible for any payment of any sales, use, or excise tax. This exemption does not include materials purchased and used by a contractor for a construction project.

8. Termination Subject to the provisions below, the individual Contract may be terminated by the Homeowner (as outlined in the Construction Contract) upon thirty (30) days advance written notice to the other party; but if any work or service hereunder is in progress, but not completed as of the date of termination, then the Contract may be extended upon written approval of the County until said work or services are completed and accepted. Comment by Glenn Misner: Need to make sure the construction contract contains this provision A. Termination for Convenience The Homeowner may terminate this Contract for convenience at any time in which case the parties shall negotiate reasonable termination costs.

B. Termination for Cause In the event of Termination for Cause, the thirty (30) days advance notice is waived and the Contractor shall not be entitled to termination costs.

9. Severability In the event that any provision of the individual construction contract shall be adjudged or decreed to be invalid, such ruling shall not invalidate the entire Agreement but shall pertain only to the provision in question and the remaining provisions shall continue to be valid, binding and in full force and effect.

10. Applicable Laws This contract shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of Georgia.

INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSERS

1. One (1) original and one (1) copies of required proposal documents must be submitted in sealed envelope marked with the Request for Proposal number, due date, and the proposer’s name and address on sealed submission package, as well as outside of shipping packaging.

U.S. Postal Service: FEDEX/UPS Deliveries

Proposals will be accepted at the above address until the time and date specified above, and immediately after will be publicly opened and bid amounts will be read aloud.

Proposals received after the required time or in any other location other than the Commissioner’s Office will not be accepted. Stewart County will not be held liable for misdirected deliveries nor deliveries that are late due to shipping carrier. Faxed or email submissions will not be accepted.

All proposals submitted in response to this invitation shall become the property of Stewart County and will be a matter of public record available for review after award.

Bid Package Checklist: Comment by Ian Perry: Need bonds? Everify? Comment by Grant Richardson: Yes E verify no Bonds.

1. Pricing Proposal Form

2. Executed RFP

3. References

4. E-Verify Affidavit Contractor

5. E-Verify Affidavit Sub-Contractor

6. Certificate of Insurances

7. Professional Certifications (Georgia Business license and Septic installer/ pumper license)

2. Inquiries Comment by Ian Perry: Contact us or Stewart? Comment by Grant Richardson: Contact Us.

Questions and inquiries will be accepted from any and all proposers. River Valley Regional Commission is the sole point of contact for this solicitation unless otherwise instructed herein. Questions must be submitted in writing up to five (5) business days prior to proposal opening. Questions may be emailed to Ian Perry or Grant Richardson at iperry@rivervalleyrc.org or grichardson@rivervalleyrc.org. Unauthorized contact with other Stewart County staff regarding the RFP may result in the disqualification of the proposer. Inquiries pertaining to Requests for Proposals must give RFP number and title.

3. Inspection of Site Prebid on-site inspection is not required for this project, however, should the potential proposed choose to perform on-site inspection, please contact RVRC to arrange a date and time for inspection. Comment by Glenn Misner: I think we need to allow potential bidders access to the project.

4. Completion Proposal must show number of days required to complete each individual septic system installation under normal conditions. Failure to state completion time obligates proposer to complete the project according to the County's schedule. Unrealistically short or long completion promised may cause proposal to be disregarded. Consistent failure to meet delivery promises without valid reason may cause removal from vendor list.

5. Firm Pricing for County Acceptance Proposal price must be firm for County acceptance for 90 days from proposal opening date.

6. Authority to Bind Firm in Contract Proposals MUST give full firm name and address of proposer. Failure to manually sign proposal may disqualify it. Person signing proposal should show TITLE or AUTHORITY TO BIND HIS FIRM IN A CONTRACT. Firm name and authorized signature must appear on proposal in the space provided.

7. References All proposers shall include, with their proposals, a list of at least three (3) current references for whom comparable work has been performed. This list shall include company name, person to contact, telephone number, email address, address where work completed and days to complete. Failure to include references may be ample cause for rejection of proposal as non-responsive.

8. Basis for Award The notice of award to enter individual homeowner contracts will be awarded to the responsible, responsive proposer(s) whose submission, conforming to the solicitation, will be most advantageous to Stewart County – price and other factors considered. Any proposer who is in default to Stewart County at the time of submittal of the proposal shall have that proposal rejected. Stewart County reserves the right to clarify any contractual terms with the concurrence of the Contractor; however, any substantial nonconformity in the offer, as determined by Stewart County, shall be deemed non-responsive and the offer rejected. In evaluating proposals, Stewart County shall consider the qualifications of the proposers, timeframe, cost, references and guarantees of materials and equipment.

9. Negotiation with the Responsible Proposer Unless all proposals are canceled or rejected, the County reserves the right to negotiate with the lowest responsive, responsible proposer to obtain a contract price within the funds available whenever such proposal exceeds the available funds. Negotiations with the low proposer may include both modifications of the proposal price and the specifications/scope of work to be performed.

10. Notice to Proceed A notice to Proceed with entering individual contracts will be issued by the County once the bid proposals are reviewed. Comment by Glenn Misner: The overall RFP should list the total bid price, remember Stewart County is NOT a party to the contracts.

SOLICIATION SCHEDULE:

Proposal Due Date

Public Bid Opening

Proposal Evaluation

Notice to Proceed with contracts.

Contract execution

REFERENCES

Stewart County Board of Commissioners requests a minimum of three, (3) references where work of a similar size and scope has been completed.

References

Proposers shall provide references on this form.

1. Firm Name Brief Description of Project Completion Date Contact Phone Title E-mail

2. Firm Name Brief Description of Project Completion Date Contact Phone Title E-mail

3. Firm Name Brief Description of Project Completion Date Contact Phone Title E-mail

CONTRACTOR AFFIDAVIT AND AGREEMENT

(THIS FORM SHOULD BE FULLY COMPLETED AND RETURNED WITH YOUR BID PACKET)

By executing this affidavit, the undersigned contractor verifies its compliance with O.C.G.A. § 13-10-91, stating affirmatively that the individual, firm or corporation which is engaged in the physical performance of services on behalf of the Stewart County Board of Commissioners has registered with, is authorized to use and uses the federal work authorization program commonly known as E-Verify, or any subsequent replacement program, in accordance with the applicable provisions and deadlines established in O.C.G.A. § 13-10-91.

Furthermore, the undersigned contractor will continue to use the federal work authorization program throughout the contract period and the undersigned contractor will contract for the physical performance of services in satisfaction of such contract only with subcontractors who present an affidavit to the contractor with the information required by O.C.G.A. § 13-10-91(b). Contractor hereby attests that its federal work authorization user identification number and date of authorization are as follows:

Federal Work Authorization User Identification Number (E-verify Number)

Date of Authorization

Name of Contractor

Address of Contractor

City, State and Zip Code

Name of Project I hereby declare under the penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.

Executed on , , 20 in (City), (State).

Signature of Authorized Officer or Agent (Contractor)

Title of Authorized Officer or Agent (Contractor)

Printed Name of Authorized Officer or Agent

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN BEFORE ME ON THIS THE

DAY OF , 201_

Notary Public My Commission Expires:

SUBCONTRACTOR AFFIDAVIT AND AGREEMENT

By executing this affidavit, the undersigned subcontractor verifies its compliance with O.C.G.A. 13-10-91, stating affirmatively that the individual, firm or corporation which is engaged in the physical performance of services under a contract with (name of contractor) on behalf of Stewart County Board of Commissioners has registered with and is participating in a federal work authorization program* [any of the electronic verification of work authorization programs operated by the United States Department of Homeland Security or any equivalent federal work authorization program operated by the United States Department of Homeland Security to verify information of newly hired employees, pursuant to the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), P.L. 99-603], in accordance with the applicability provisions and deadlines established in O.C.G.A. 13- 10-91.

EEV / Basic Pilot Program* User Identification Number

BY: Authorized Officer or Agent Signature Date (Subcontractor Name)

Title of Authorized Officer or Agent of Subcontractor

Printed Name of Authorized Officer or Agent

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN BEFORE ME ON THIS THE

DAY OF , 201_

Notary Public My Commission Expires:

STEWART COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONER STEWART COUNTY, GEORGIA

LIST OF SUBCONTRACTORS FORM

I do__________, do not propose to subcontract some of the work on this project. I propose to

Sub-contract work to the following subcontractors:

STATEMENT OF PROPOSER’S QUALIFICATIONS

(To be subscribed and sworn to before a notary public)

The proposer submits the following statement of proposer’s qualification for consideration by the Owner.

Legal Name of Proposer/Firm:

Street Address:

Telephone Number:

Fax Number:

Email Address:

When Organized:

Where Incorporated:

Number of years engaged in the contracting business under the present firm name:

Plan of Organization: Proprietorship Corporation Partnership The proposer has never refused to sign a contract at the original bid. T F The proposer has never been declared default on a contract. T F The proposer has never been debarred by the Federal Government T F Remarks:

The foregoing statement of qualifications is submitted under oath.

Under oath, I certify that I am a principal or other representative of the firm of and I am authorized by it to execute the foregoing offer on its behalf. I am a principal person of the foregoing with management responsibility for the foregoing subject matter and as such, I am personally knowledgeable of all its pertinent matters. The foregoing statements of facts in the foregoing proposal are true.

I certify that this proposal is made without prior understanding, agreement, or connection with any corporation, firm or person submitting a proposal for the same materials, labor supplies or equipment and is in all respects, fair and without collusion or fraud. We understand collusive bidding is violation of state and federal law and can result in fines, prison sentences and civil damage awards. We agree to abide by all conditions of this proposal.

The full name and addresses of persons and firms interested in the foregoing proposal as principals are as follows:

Date: Legal Name of Firm: By (Signature): Printed Name: Title:

Sworn to and subscribed before this day of 202 .

Notary Public My commission expires:

STEWART COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS SEPTIC TANK SYSTEMS

RFP# 2023-CDBG PRICING PROPOSAL FORM

DATE:

TO:

Having carefully examined the Proposal Documents for Septic tank Replacement, and Addendum(s) No.(s) _____as well as the premises and conditions affecting the work, we propose to furnish all services, labor, equipment and materials called for them for the entire work, in accordance with aforesaid documents. Unit cost shall be priced for a single installation. Total bid amount should be total unit cost multiplied by 6 (or more) installations.

Additional Services

Total Bid Amount

APPENDIX A SCOPE OF WORK

1. Project Specifications:

The selected contractor will enter into individual contracts with up to (6) households. Each of the homes will be standalone septic replacement projects and the contractor will enter into a written agreement with each homeowner. RVRC will assist with getting all individual contracts executed. Comment by Glenn Misner: I think RVRC will need to be heavily involved with the signing of the individual contacts.

Please Note Include pricing for Fill dirt in price quote. Contractor is required to provide site grading and final landscaping using either seed/hay or sod based on State of Georgia requirements for each household.

STANDARD SEPTIC TANK SYSTEM SPECS:

• A new 1,000-gallon concrete septic tank will be installed at each residence.

• A new drain field will be constructed for each new septic tank in the most level and soil suitable location possible at each residence.

· Some tree removal will be required for drain field construction, and all residents in the Target Area that potentially need trees removed for this have agreed to their removal in this project.

· Surveying of a lot lines may be needed to precisely locate the position of a septic tank on a property, specifically in relation to the property lines (lot lines) to ensure it complies with local regulations and setback distances required for proper installation.

• All installation areas will be properly graded and leveled where applicable for proper installation.

• All installations will be followed by finish grading and grassing to ensure that the areas are left in their previous or better condition.

All proposed improvements will be made in accordance with Georgia Department of Public Health’s Homeowner’s Guide to On-Site Sewage Management Systems, latest edition. Soil scientists reviewed existing soils on May 30, 2023, and found them to be conducive for septic tanks and drain fields.

The RFP unit pricing on the proposal form shall be based on contracting with up to ( 6) households for the above list of improvements needed. Unit pricing should be based on a single installation. The total bid price should be the unit pricing for one installation multiplied by XXX number of installations. The total bid price in response to this RFP will be the aggregate of all individual septic systems installed, as per the individual contracts for each septic system proposed. Comment by Glenn Misner: If Stewart County is waiting for final numbers based on title searches and documented income eligibility, this could be removed, but then I would think the RFP should include a total price for all installations.