Technical Specifications Lawn Care Leaf Removal Services (WCD) APR 2024 - DEC 2024 .pdf

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1. SCOPE:

1.1. The purpose of this solicitation is to establish a term contract(s) for Lawn Care and Leaf Removals Services for the Department of Public Works and Environmental Science Wastewater Collection Division in accordance with the requirements listed in this solicitation.

1.2. The Lawn Care Services includes the following:

a. Mowing

b. Leaf removal

2. BACKGROUND:

2.1. The Wastewater Collection Division (WCD) of Fairfax County

Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) is charged with the responsibility of maintaining the grounds of the Wastewater Collection Division. These properties include formal lawns, open areas, and common areas. Due to the large number of grounds that require mowing within the divisions some of these grounds require the assistance of contracted mowing services. WCD has defined two classes of areas requiring mowing within the divisions. These classes vary in the total number of mowings and frequency between actual mowings. A summary of these classes is listed below and further detailed instructions appear in the Technical Specifications and a list of sites and their acreage appears on the Pricing Schedule. Listed below are the total number of Class A and B sites.

Class A and B Sites Total Acreage: 15.00 Acres TOTAL # of SITES: 42

3. PERIOD OF CONTRACT:

3.1. The period of this contract shall be from APRIL 15, 2024, through

December 31, 2024. The contractor will perform the first mowing service in APRIL 2024.

4. PRICES AND PRICE ADJUSTMENT:

4.1. All prices/discounts shall be F.O.B. Destination and shall include all charges that may be imposed in fulfilling the terms of this contract.

4.2. If labor rates are requested, the rates specified by the bidder shall include all direct and indirect overhead costs including but not limited to transportation, general and administrative cost, etc. Labor rates will be paid on the basis of time at the site.

4.3. The Contractor agrees that for unit price contracts, prices shall remain firm for the duration of the contract.

5. DELIVERY/TIME OF PERFORMANCE:

5.1. Mowing services are required during the period of April 2024 through

December 2024. Work shall be performed Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM, unless special circumstances require work to be performed outside these hours, and within the confines of all Fairfax County Noise Ordinances. WCD will notify the Contractor of any special events or other requirements that may impact on the ability of the Contractor to perform work set forth in the contract.

6. CONTRACT INSURANCE PROVISIONS

6.1. The Contractor shall be responsible for its work and every part thereof, and for all materials, tools, equipment, appliances, and property of all description used in connection therewith. The Contractor assumes all risk of direct and indirect damage or injury to the property or persons used or employed on or in connection with the work contracted for, and of all damage or injury to any person or property wherever located, resulting from any action, omission, commission, or operation under the contract.

The Contractor shall, during the continuance of all work under the contract provide the following:

a. Maintain statutory Workers' Compensation and Employer's

Liability insurance in limits of not less than $100,000 to protect the Contractor from any liability or damages for any injuries (including death and disability) to all of its employees, including any and all liability or damage which may arise by virtue of any statute or law in force within the Commonwealth of Virginia.

b. The Contractor agrees to maintain Commercial General Liability insurance in the amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence/aggregate, to protect the Contractor, its Subcontractors, and the interest of the County, its officers, and employees against all injuries to third parties, including bodily injury and personal injury, wherever located, resulting from any action or operation under the Contract or in connection with the contracted work.

The General Liability insurance shall include the Broad Form Property Damage endorsement, in addition to coverage for explosion, collapse, and underground hazards, where required.

Completed operations liability endorsement shall continue in force for three years following completion of the contract.

c. The Contractor agrees to maintain owned, non-owned, and hired

Automobile Liability insurance, in the amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence/aggregate, including property damage, covering all owned, non-owned, borrowed, leased, or rented vehicles operated by the Contractor. In addition, all mobile equipment used by the Contractor in connection with the contracted work, will be insured under either a standard Automobile Liability policy, or a Commercial General Liability policy. The Garage Keeper's Liability coverage shall also be maintained where appropriate.

d. Contractor agrees to maintain Contractors Liability insurance in the amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence/aggregate to insure against loss due to liability imposed upon an owner/Contractor for acts arising out of the operations of independent Contractors/subcontractors or out of an owner's/Contractor's supervisory activity.

e. Liability Insurance "Claims Made" basis:

If the liability insurance purchased by the Contractor has been issued on a "claims made" basis, the Contractor must comply with the following additional conditions. The limit of liability and the extensions to be included as described previously in these provisions, remain the same. The Contractor must either:

1. Agree to provide certificates of insurance evidence of the above coverage for a period of two years after final payment for the contract. This certificate shall evidence a "retroactive date" no later than the beginning of the Contractor's or sub-contractor's work under this contract, or

2. Purchase the extended reporting period endorsement for the policy or policies in force during the term of this contract and evidence the purchase of this extended reporting period endorsement by means of a certificate of insurance or a copy of the endorsement itself.

f. Liability insurance may be arranged by General Liability and

Automobile Liability policies for the full limits required, or by a combination of underlying Liability policies for lesser limits with the remaining limits provided by an Excess or Umbrella Liability policy.

g. The Contractor agrees to provide insurance issued by companies admitted within the Commonwealth of Virginia, with the Best's Key Rating of at least A:VI.

h. European markets including those based in London, and the domestic surplus lines markets that operate on a non-admitted basis are exempt from this requirement provided that the Contractor's broker can provide financial data to establish that a market is equal to or exceeds the financial strengths associated with the A.M. Best's rating of A:VI or better.

i. Hold-harmless and Indemnification: Article 57 of the General Conditions and Instructions to Bidders shall apply where DPSM form is used. If not, following paragraph shall be inserted:

"The Contractor hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Fairfax County, Virginia, its officers, agents and all employees and volunteers, from any and all claims for bodily injury, and personal injury and/or property damage, including cost of investigation, all expenses of litigation, including reasonable attorney fees, and the cost of appeals arising out of any claims or suits which result from errors, omissions, or negligent acts of the Contractor, his subcontractors and their agents and employees".

j. The Contractor will provide an original, signed Certificate of

Insurance citing the contract number and such endorsements as prescribed herein.

k. The Contractor will secure and maintain all insurance certificates of its subcontractors, which shall be made available to the County on demand.

l. The Contractor will provide on demand certified copies of all insurance policies related to the contract within ten business days of demand by the County. These certified copies will be sent to the County from the Contractor's insurance agent or representative.

6.2. No change, cancellation, or non-renewal shall be made in any insurance coverage without a 30-day written notice to the County. The Contractor shall furnish a new certificate prior to any change or cancellation date.

The failure of the Contractor to deliver a new and valid certificate will result in the suspension of all payments until the new certificate is furnished.

6.3. Compliance by the Contractor and all subcontractors with the foregoing requirements as to carrying insurance shall not relieve the Contractor and all subcontractors of their liability provisions of the contract.

6.4. The contractual and other liability insurance provided under this contract shall not contain a supervision, inspection or engineering services exclusion that would preclude the County from supervising and/or inspecting the project as to the result. The Contractor shall assume all on-the-job responsibilities as to the control of persons directly employed by it and of the subcontractors.

6.5. Nothing contained in the specifications shall be construed as creating any contractual relationship between any subcontractor and the County.

The Contractor shall be as fully responsible to the County for the acts and omissions of the subcontractors and of persons employed by them as it is for acts and omissions of person directly employed by it.

6.6. Precautions shall be always exercised for the protection of persons

(including employees) and property.

6.7. The Contractor and all subcontractors are to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Public Law 91-596, as it may apply to this Contract.

6.8. The County, its officers and employees shall be named as an "additional insured" in the Automobile and General Liability policies, and it shall be stated on the Insurance Certificate that this coverage "is primary to all other coverage the County may possess."

7. METHOD OF ORDERING:

7.1. The County may use two (2) different methods of placing orders from the final contract: Purchase Orders (PO’s) and approved County procurement cards.

7.2. A Purchase Order (PO) may be issued to the Contractor on behalf of the

County agency ordering the items/services covered under this contract.

The purchase order indicates that sufficient funds have been obligated as required by Title 15.2-1238 of the Code of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

7.3. Procurement Card orders and payments may also be made using a Fairfax County or Fairfax County Public Schools “Procurement” Card.

The Procurement card is currently a MasterCard. Contractors are encouraged to accept this method of receiving orders.

7.4. Regardless of the method of ordering used, solely the contract and any modification determine performance time and dates.

7.5. Performance under this contract is not to begin until receipt of the purchase order, Procurement Card order, or other notification to proceed by the County Purchasing Agent and/or County agency to proceed.

Purchase requisitions shall not be used for placing orders.

1. GENERAL:

1.1. The Contractor shall furnish all necessary labor, equipment, transportation, parking fees, tools-of-the-trade, consumable supplies, and materials as necessary to provide Lawn Care Services identified herein.

1.2. Fairfax County Wastewater Collection Division reserves the right to postpone, delay or cancel a scheduled mowing for reasons including, but not limited to, severe drought, excessive moisture, Air Quality Action Days, or budgetary restraints without penalty or cost. The Contractor shall use its best judgment in postponing a scheduled mowing due to poor weather and/or site conditions. In addition, Fairfax County reserves the right to add additional mowing weeks as needed due to increased funding and/or site needs. On occasion, the WCD may require additional mowing to a site due to a special event or other consideration. The Contractor is required to respond to such a request within 48 hours. The cost for the additional mowing will be consistent with the quoted price for the site on the contract.

1.3. Air Quality Action Days: When the air quality conditions for the following day are forecasted for Fairfax County to be “Code Red, Code Purple, or Code Orange”, mowing operations for the following day shall be suspended. Mowing may resume when the forecast is changed to “Code Yellow or Code Green”. The updated Air Quality forecast for the following day is announced by 4 p.m. daily. Prior to the start of the mowing season, Fairfax County will provide the Contractor with media sources such as websites and/or phone numbers that they may use to obtain the forecast.

1.4. The Contractor’s equipment shall be of commercial quality, size & type suitable for the tasks specified in this contract. Rotary-type finish mowers are required. All mowing equipment shall meet all current ANSI & all other applicable safety regulations.

1.5. The Contractor shall always exercise caution for the protection of persons and property. Safety provisions of all applicable laws, ordinances, and regulations shall be strictly observed. The Contractor shall keep all necessary guards and protective devices in place while at the work site to prevent injury to the public or damage to public property. In addition, the Contractor shall park all trucks, trailers, and equipment at the work site in such a manner as to not create a hazardous condition at entrances and exits.

1.6. Fairfax County WCD and the Contractor shall each be promptly notified by the other party of any complaints received from nearby neighbors, division staff, property owners, or the public encountering or impacted by the Contractor’s site operations.

1.7. The County reserves the right to inspect the bidder’s premises and equipment upon twenty-four hours’ notice.

1.8. The contractor shall make every effort to avoid striking all obstacles including, but not limited to, trees, signage, fencing & benches. Fairfax County shall not be held liable for damages to the contractor’s mowers or equipment resulting from striking any obstacle. The contractor shall immediately report any damage resulting from the execution of this contract to any Fairfax County, site neighbor or other site contractor property & shall be held responsible for all repairs to said property.

1.9. MOWING CLASS REPORT - The Contractor shall provide an

electronic report in Excel format via email on a weekly basis by the close of business each Monday during the mowing season of April 15, 2024, through November 2024. The report shall be tabbed by site and include site name, mowing class, date mowed the previous week &/or scheduled mow date for the following week, and comments (problems, issues, etc.). A blank report form will be provided by WCD to the Contractor(s) prior to the start of the mowing season. RESPONSE FOR UNSATISFACTORY WORK - The Contractor is required to respond to Fairfax County’s identified unsatisfactory work within twenty-four hours of notification. All mowing shall be subject to inspection and approval by the contract manager and/or their designee. If performance becomes unsatisfactory, or is omitted, a deduction shall be applied to the contractor’s invoice in accordance with the established contract prices. Any instances in which deductions are applied shall be supported by the inspection report. The vendor shall be paid for only those sites that are mowed. The Contractor shall pay Fairfax County for the cost for mowing any site that the Contractor fails to mow if the Contractor fails to respond within twenty-four hours of notification.

The cost of reimbursement to Fairfax County shall be equivalent to the contract price for that site.

2. MOWING AND TRIMMING:

2.1. Class A & B Sites:

Class A – Robert P. McMath Facility Class B – All other locations

Frequency: Class A & B locations are to be mowed on a 10-day cycle between the dates of April 1 and November 10. The first mowing of the season shall occur no later than April 6; the last mowing of the season shall occur no later than November 10. To account for the 10th day falling on a weekend and inclement weather, the cycle may be 9-11 days: if day 10 falls on a Saturday, Friday (day 9) will be the mow day.

If day 10 falls on a Sunday, Monday (day 11) will be the mow day.

Total # of mowings: Fifteen (15) times per site across 42 sites; once per site in the month of APR 2024 and twice per site each month from May 2024 through November 2024. Height of Cut: 2 ½ inches.

2.2. String trimming is required around apparatus and around permanent objects such as trees, shrubs, posts, fences, car stops and curbs. String trimming will be accomplished with suitable mechanical equipment and at the same cutting height as the rest of the turf areas. String trimming must be completed each time the contractor mows the open space areas. Herbicides and any other chemicals are not to be used without prior written approval of the Fairfax County WCD.

2.3. Sidewalk and curbing will be edged using a steel blade edger, and all walks and curbs will be swept or blown after this operation. Use of string trimmers to hard edge initially is not acceptable. All sites will be hard edged on the FIRST mowing and then maintained with string trimmers or steel blade edger’s throughout the year on each visit.

2.4. All mowing equipment & vehicles shall be kept & maintained in safe, optimum operating condition without leaking fuel or fluids. Mower blades shall be kept sharp & balanced to provide a good quality of cut.

All contractor vehicles used in the execution of this contract shall have the company name and/or logo prominently displayed on both sides of the vehicle and be clean, maintained and painted to present a neat, professional appearance. In addition, all vehicles and equipment shall meet all current local, state, and federal safety requirements.

2.5. Refueling & other routine maintenance practices are not to be carried out on any grass or associated grounds area; all equipment must be moved to paved areas for these operations. Any fuel or fluid spills or spoils generated from equipment operation or maintenance are the sole responsibility of the Contractor & must be handled according to all applicable regulations. All spills shall be cleaned up & damage repaired by and at the Contractor’s expense.

2.6. The use of “mulching” type mowers is preferred & encouraged. Picking up and/or removal of grass clippings or leaves from the turf area is not required in the scope of this contract, but grass clippings that are incidentally discharged onto drains, walkways, roadways, or other hard surfaces shall be removed (blown off acceptable) by the contractor prior to leaving the site.

2.7. Mowing equipment shall always be operated in a manner to produce a high quality of cut including proper overlap of cutting swaths, proper turning, establishment of mowing patterns &, especially, operating at appropriate, reasonable speeds. Every effort shall be made by the contractor to minimize scalping, misses, tire marking & uneven cutting caused by poor mowing practices, especially excessive speed.

2.8. The Contractor shall clear the mowing area of all ground trash, debris or other loose obstacles including small limbs less than 3” diameter.

Mowing over any trash is prohibited. If accidentally done so, the Contractor shall clean up the trash prior to leaving the site. The Contractor shall dispose of any trash or debris removed off-site. The contractor is not responsible for the removal of fallen trees, large limbs greater than 3” diameter or dumped large items or debris including but not limited to appliances & construction spoils. The Contractor shall report the discovery of any of these impediments to the WCD as soon as possible.

2.9. The Contractor shall not mow the 6 Stormwater islands located at the upper parking lot of WCD, just hand weeding.

3. LEAF REMOVAL:

3.1. Wastewater Collection requires that leaf removal services be conducted at the sites listed on the pricing list once in the month of November 2024 and once in the month of December 2024.

3.2. The leaf removal shall include removal of leaves from all turf areas, including street, parking lots, and parking lot curb areas.

3.3. Before mowing, leaves will be gathered up from all lawns and bed areas.

3.4. The Contractor shall remove from the County sites all leaves gathered up and properly transport them to an appropriate recycling facility.