Tree_Maintenance_Services_(Addendum_#2_Revision).pdf

COUNTY OF ORANGE

OC COMMUNITY RESOURCES

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

FOR

TREE MAINTENANCE SERVICES

RFP NO. 012-2964102-EB

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/ocgov https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/%7bproject.government.code%7d

County of Orange RFP

OC Community Resources - Tree Maintenance Services, 012-2964102-EB

County of Orange

OC Community Resources

Procurement and Contract Services

601 N Ross Street

Santa Ana, CA

92701

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

Release of RFP Solicitation January 13, 2026

Question Submission Deadline January 21, 2026, 2:00pm

RFP Submittal Closing February 3, 2026, 2:00pm

PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED ON

OR BEFORE

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

2:00 pm

SECTIONS

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

SECTION 2. PROTEST PROCEDURES

SECTION 3. SCOPE OF WORK

SECTION 4. PROPOSAL SCORING CRITERIA

SECTION 5. PRICING PROPOSAL

SECTION 6. OCLSB AND DVBE PREFERENCE POLICIES CERTIFICATION

REQUIREMENTS

SECTION 7. VENDOR RESPONSES

Attachments:

A - Model Contract - RFP -012-2964102-EB - REV 1.22.2026

J - Attachment J - OC Parks Tree Inventory List

K - Attachment K - OCCR Facilities Tree Inventory List

M - Exhibit 1 - Contractor Safety - Activity Checklist

N - Exhibit 2 - Jobsite Safety Checklist

O - Exhibit 3 - 306 County's Safety and Loss Prevention Policy and Procedure

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The County intends that the successful Respondent shall provide Tree Maintenance Services proposed in accordance with contract requirements set forth in the solicitation and Model Contract, including Attachments.

1.2 COUNTY HOLIDAYS DURING SOLICITATION PERIOD

During this solicitation period, the OC Community Resources will be closed on the following

County holidays:

• January 19, 2026, Martin Luther King Jr. Day

1.3 INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS AND PROCEDURES FOR SUBMITTAL

A. Proposals are to be uploaded via the County's eProcurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov. For assistance on uploading proposals via County’s eProcurement Portal, please contact procurement-support@opengov.com or https://help.procurement.opengov.com/en/

B. Examine the Contract Documents and the site of the proposed work carefully before submitting a Proposal for the work contemplated. Investigate the conditions to be encountered, as to the character, quality, and quantities of work to be performed and materials to be furnished and as to the requirements of all Contract Documents.

The County has attempted to provide all information available. It is the responsibility of each Respondent to review, evaluate, and, where necessary, request any clarification prior to submission of a Proposal. If any person contemplating submitting a response to this

Request for Proposals is in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of the solicitation documents attached hereto or finds discrepancies in or omissions from the specifications, they may submit a written request for clarification/interpretation to the County Deputy

Purchasing Agent (DPA) via the County’s eProcurement Portal under the bid page for this solicitation.

If clarification or interpretation of this solicitation is considered necessary by County, an addendum shall be issued, and the information will be posted via the County’s eProcurement Portal. Any interpretation of, or correction to, this solicitation shall be issued by the DPA. It is the responsibility of each Respondent to periodically check the County’s eProcurement Portal to ensure that they have received and reviewed any and all addenda to this solicitation.

The County will not be responsible for any other explanations, corrections to, or interpretations of the documents, including any oral information. If an addendum is issued, proposers must acknowledge the addendum via the County’s eProcurement Portal.

All questions or requests for interpretations must be received within this solicitation https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com https://help.procurement.opengov.com/en/ by Wednesday, January 21, 2026, before 2:00 pm. The DPA will provide all official communication concerning this solicitation. Any County response relevant to this solicitation other than through or approved by the DPA is unauthorized and will be considered invalid.

C. Proposals must be valid for a period of at least three hundred sixty-five (365) calendar days from the closing date and time of receipt. No Proposal may be withdrawn after the submission date.

D. Each Respondent must submit their proposal electronically via the County’s eProcurement

Portal.

E. All pages must be numbered and identified sequentially by section. Proposals must be tabbed and indexed in accordance with the information requested in the Proposal Response

Requirements Section. It is imperative that all Respondents comply, exactly and completely, with the instructions set forth herein. All responses to this solicitation shall be type written or word-processed (except where otherwise provided or noted), concise, straightforward, and must fully address each requirement and question. Although not as a substitute for a complete written response, additional material, such as technical documents, may be referenced in any response if the material is included in the same section as additional information.

F. Proposals are not to be marked as confidential or proprietary. The County may refuse to consider any Proposal so marked. All Proposals and supporting documents will be subject to the provisions of the California Public Records Act (California Code

Government Code 7920.000 et seq.) (PRA) and will be disclosed or withheld in accordance therewith. The County shall not be liable in any way for disclosure of any such records.

Additionally, all Proposals shall become the property of the County.

Respondents should not request that certain information be treated as exempt, and statements in the Proposals should not be marked as confidential or proprietary. In the event that any information is marked as confidential or proprietary, as it may be absolutely necessary, Respondents have the sole responsibility of obtaining any applicable injunctive reliefs to prevent the disclosure of such confidential proprietary information in connection with any request made to County pursuant to PRA or a subpoena for disclosure of such information.

G. Each Respondent shall exercise reasonable care and diligence to avoid submitting a

Proposal that could result in a conflict of interest if Respondent were to be selected. This obligation shall apply to the Respondent, the Respondent’s employees, agents, and relatives, sub-contractors, and third parties associated with accomplishing work and services in Proposal. In the event Respondent has done work for the County on this Project in the past or has reason to believe that a conflict of interest may exist for Respondent in regard to this Project, Respondent should consult with its legal counsel prior to responding to this solicitation. Any Respondent who is found to have an actual conflict of interest may have its Proposal rejected on that ground.

Respondent, its employees and/or consultants may be subject to the provisions of the

California Political Reform Act of 1974 (the “Act”), which (1) requires such persons to disclose any financial interest that may be materially affected by services provided under this Contract, (2) prohibits such persons from making, or participating in making, decisions that could reasonably affect such interest; and (3) may require the filing a Statement of

Economic Interest (Form 700).

If subject to the Act, Respondent shall conform to all requirements of the Act. Failure to do so shall constitute a material breach and is grounds for immediate termination of the

Contract by County. Respondent shall indemnify and hold harmless County for any and all claims for damages resulting from Respondent’s violation of this Section.

H. By submitting a Proposal, the Respondent represents that it thoroughly examined the

County’s requirements, is familiar with the services required under this solicitation and is qualified and capable of providing the services to achieve the County’s objectives.

I. Each Respondent must submit its Proposal in strict accordance with all requirements of this solicitation and compliance must be stated in the Proposal. Deviations, clarifications and/or exceptions must be clearly identified and listed separately as alternative items on additional information section for the County’s consideration as specified in the

Proposal Response Requirements Section, “Statement of Compliance.”

Note: Allow sufficient time to upload all required files. The County’s eProcurement Portal will not allow any uploads after the due date and time specified herein, e.g., if Part 1 and 2 uploaded successfully at 1:58:38 P.M. and Part 3 is in progress of being uploaded at 2:00:01

P.M., Part 3 will not upload successfully.

J. Pre-contractual expenses are not to be included in the Cost Proposal, Attachment B, Pricing and Compensation. Pre-contractual expenses are defined as including, but not limited to, expenses incurred by the Respondent in: a) preparing its Proposal in response to this solicitation; b) submitting that Proposal to the County; c) negotiating with the County any matter related to the Respondent’s Proposal; and d) any other expenses incurred by the

Respondent prior to the date of award and execution, if any, of the Contract.

K. Any Proposal may be construed as non-responsive and ineligible for consideration if it does not comply with the requirements of the solicitation. Failure to comply with the technical features and acknowledgment of receipt of addenda are common causes for holding a Proposal nonresponsive.

L. Where two or more Respondents desire to submit a single Proposal in response to this solicitation, they must do so on a prime/subcontractor basis rather than as a joint venture.

The County intends to contract with a single firm that may subcontract with multiple firms

(team) but not with multiple firms doing business as a joint venture.

M. County does not require and neither encourages nor discourages the use of lobbyists or other consultants for the purpose of securing business.

N. The County requires a valid D-U-N-S number prior to Contract Award. If needed, your company may obtain one at no cost at www.dnb.com. If you are unable to provide/obtain a D-U-N-S number, please indicate so in your proposal/bid submission response.

O. The County requires a valid UEI number and full registration prior to Contract

Award. Your company must obtain one at no cost at www.usfcr.com. If you are unable to provide/obtain a UEI number, please indicate so in your proposal submission response.

P. Effective from the issuance date of this solicitation until a Contract is awarded or the solicitation is withdrawn, all individuals or entities responding—including their employees, agents, representatives, proposed partners, subcontractors, members, lobbyists, or attorneys (collectively "Respondents")—are prohibited from engaging in any direct or indirect communication with County personnel involved in the selection process, except with the designated Deputy Purchasing Agent (DPA). Respondents may continue conducting business with the County on matters unrelated to this solicitation and may communicate with County staff, provided the solicitation is not discussed. Any attempt to engage in discussion regarding this solicitation with anyone other than the designated DPA will be presumed to create an unfair competitive advantage and may result in disqualification.

Q. After the closing date and time for receipt of proposals, evaluation, and if requested by the

County, interviews will commence. Respondents who submit proposals most responsive to the County’s requirements may be asked to give a presentation of their proposal to

County staff. The County makes no guarantee as to the number of Respondents selected for interviews. Selected Respondents should be prepared to make its presentation within five (5) business days after notification and be prepared to discuss all aspects of its proposal in detail, including technical questions regarding the proposal. Respondents shall not be allowed to alter or amend its proposal through the use of the presentation process.

1.4 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS

Respondent’s Proposal shall meet the following minimum requirements and qualifications to proceed to the evaluation process. Failure to have the ability to, upon County request, provide http://www.dnb.com/ http://www.usfcr.com/ any of the items requested below may result in disqualification of your Proposal. These qualifications must be maintained during the term of any resultant Contract.

A. Must have the ability to do business in Orange County, California.

B. Complete all required Vendor Response questions of the solicitation.

C. Respondent must demonstrate a minimum of 5 years of experience building and maintaining client GIS tree inventories in geodatabase format.

D. Respondent must provide at least three (3) references from client(s) comparable to the

County of Orange for which these services have been performed within the last five (5) year.

E. Respondent must provide proof of the following active licenses and certifications below, which will be required under proposed contract. California State Contractors License

Board (CSLB) • License C27: Landscaping Contractor • License C61: Limited

Specialty • License D49: Tree Service Contractor and/or C49 Tree and Palm Contractor

International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certification or equivalent • ISA Certified

Arborist® • ISA Certified Tree Worker/Climber Specialist®• ISA Tree Risk Assessment

Qualification California Department of Pesticide Regulation • Qualified Applicator

License (QAL) • Pest Control Business License • Wildlife Aware Trained Certification or equivalent

1.5 EVALUATION PROCESS

Proposals deemed to meet all minimum solicitation requirements will be scored based on the established evaluation criteria, and will be assigned points that measure the responsiveness to each identified criterion. The total number of points earned will be tallied for each Proposal, based upon the Respondent(s) submitted written materials.

Proposals shall be evaluated by an Evaluation Panel of job knowledge experts on the basis of the responsiveness to the requirements in this RFP. The County may request clarifications, or otherwise verify the contents of the Proposal, including information about the Respondent, Contractors and sub-contractors.

The scoring is based on evaluation of the Proposal as measured against the Proposal Scoring

Criteria, which includes County of Orange Procurement Preference Policy, in accordance with

Sections 1.8-103 and 4.3-112 of the 2024 County Contract Policy Manual (CPM). A copy of the

2024 CPM can be found at https://cpo.oc.gov/cpm. Proposals will be evaluated from the most advantageous to the least advantageous to the County.

1.6 SELECTION/AWARD PROCEDURES

Upon the completion of the evaluation process, the Evaluation Committee will make a recommendation for an award to the County’s DPA. Final award determination shall be subject to reference checks and past performance.

https://cpo.oc.gov/cpm

The Model Contract contained herein this RFP is the Contract proposed for execution. It may be modified to incorporate negotiated items and other pertinent terms and conditions set forth in this

RFP, including special conditions and requirements and those added by addendum, necessary attachments and/or exhibits, and to reflect Respondent’s Proposal and qualifications. Any additional exceptions to the terms and conditions made by any Respondent after submission of its

Proposal may result in its elimination from further consideration.

Exceptions to the terms and conditions of the proposed Contract or the statements regarding

Respondent’s inability to comply with any of the provisions thereof are to be declared in the response to the RFP in VENDOR RESPONSES - Statement of Compliance.

Negotiations may or may not be conducted with the finalist(s); therefore, the Proposal submitted should contain Respondent(s) most favorable terms and conditions, since the selection and award may be made without further discussion or need for clarification. Any additional exceptions to the terms and conditions made by any Respondent(s) after submission of its proposal may result in elimination from further consideration.

The County will enter into negotiations with the selected Respondent and award a contract upon completion of negotiation of fees and contract terms. The award requires approval by the County

Board of Supervisors.

If a satisfactory Contract cannot be negotiated in a timely manner, County, in its sole discretion, may terminate negotiations with the selected Respondent and begin negotiations with the next

Respondent.

1.7 RIGHTS RESERVED TO COUNTY

The County reserves the right to:

A. Make use of any information or ideas in the Proposals submitted.

B. Request proposal revisions and hold discussions and negotiations with any Respondent as necessary to serve the best interests of the County.

C. Seek publicly available information about the Respondents.

D. Conduct, or not to conduct, oral interviews and/or presentations with the highest-ranked

Respondent(s) and additional Respondents.

E. Waive, at its discretion, any procedural, non-material defects, irregularity, or informality, which

County deems correctable or otherwise not warranting rejection of the proposal that do not result in any unfair competitive advantage. Any waiver will not excuse a proponent from full compliance.

F. Verify and validate any information prior to Contract Award and during the entire term of the

Contract.

G. Negotiate the final Contract with any Respondent(s), including pricing/fee schedule, as necessary to serve the best interests of the County;

H. Withdraw or cancel in part or in its entirety this solicitation at any time without prior notice and furthermore makes no representations that any Contract will be awarded to any Respondent responding to this solicitation;

I. Award its total requirements to one Respondent or to apportion those requirements among two or more Respondents as the County may deem to be in its best interests;

J. Reject any Proposal if it is conditional, incomplete or deviates significantly from the services requested in this solicitation; and/or

K. Request Best and Final Offer from any Respondent determined to be within the competitive range.

Unless requested by the County, late Best and Final Offers will not be accepted by the County for any reason. In addition, negotiations may or may not be conducted with Respondents.

L. Make multiple awards to Respondent(s) for services requested in this solicitation, at its sole discretion, to serve the best interests of the County.

M. Defer award of this Contract for a period of 180 days after the solicitation opening. During this period of time, Respondent shall guarantee the prices quoted in their Proposals. County and the lowest responsive, responsible Respondent may mutually agree in writing to a longer deferral period.

Therefore, Proposals submitted shall contain the Respondent’s most favorable terms and conditions, since the selection and award may be made without discussion with any Respondent.

1.8 CONTRACTOR SAFETY

Contractor shall comply with the County’s Safety and Loss Prevention Policy and Procedure#306

(“Contractor Safety Responsibilities”) and submit a copy of their Injury and Illness Prevention

Program (IIPP) and Contractor Safety-Activity Checklist to the County’s Project Manager prior to the start of any work performed under the Contract. Contractor will notify County Project Manager of any revisions to the Safety-Activity Checklist and will provide a new Safety-Activity Checklist upon County request. The IIPP shall comply with California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section

1509 or 3203(whichever applies). Contractor shall submit other safety programs that pertain to the type of job that will be performed on site. County reserves the right to conduct inspections and audits as necessary for the purpose of evaluating any aspect of safety performance under this

Contract.

1.9 TITLE VI SOLICITATION NOTICE

The County of Orange, in accordance with the provisions of the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 USC §§ 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all

Respondents that it will affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit proposals in response to this solicitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

1.10 DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE FORM

W-9/W-8 REQUIREMENTS

Effective June 3, 2006, all Contractors, entering into a Contract with County, who are not already established in Countywide ERP System as an Auditor-Controller vendor, will be required to submit to County a federal Form W-9, or form W-8 for foreign vendors. County will inform

Contractor, at the time of award, if the Form W-9 or W-8 will be required.

In order to comply with this County requirement, within ten (10) days of notification of selection of award of Contract but prior to official award of Contract, the selected Contractor agrees to furnish to Contract administrator, or the deputy purchasing agent (DPA) the required W-9 or W-

8.

1.11 LEVINE ACT REQUIREMENT

Effective January 1, 2023, all contractors entering into a contract with the County, will be required to submit the Campaign Contribution Disclosure Form for any contributions made on or after

January 1, 2023. In order to comply with this requirement, Respondent agrees to furnish the required Campaign Contribution Disclosure Information form as a required submittal with its

Proposal. Failure to include the form as required will render the Proposal nonresponsive.

SECTION 2. PROTEST PROCEDURES

PROTEST PROCESS

All protests shall be typed under the protestor’s letterhead and submitted in accordance with the provisions stated herein. All protests shall include at a minimum the following information:

A. The name, address, and telephone number of the protestor;

B. The signature of the protestor or the protestor’s representative;

C. The solicitation or contract number;

D. A detailed statement of the legal and/or factual grounds for the protest; and, E. The form of relief requested.

Protest of Solicitation Specifications:

A. All protests related to solicitation specifications must be submitted to the Deputy

Procurement Agent (DPA), Erin Barnes at erin.barnes@occr.ocgov.com, no later than five (5) business days prior to the Closing Date of the solicitation. Protests received after the five (5) business-day deadline will not be considered by the County.

B. In the event the protest of specifications is denied, and the protestor wishes to continue in the solicitation process, the protestor must still submit a bid/response prior to the close of the solicitation in accordance with the solicitation submittal procedures provided in this solicitation.

Protest of Award of Contract:

A. Protests related to the award of a contract must be submitted to the Deputy Procurement

Agent, Erin Barnes at erin.barnes@occr.ocgov.com, no later than five (5) business days after the Notice of Intent to Award is provided by the DPA.

B. Protests relating to a proposed contract award received after the five (5) business day deadline will not be considered by the County.

Protest Process

A. In the event of a timely protest, the County shall not proceed with the solicitation or award of the contract until the DPA issues a decision on the protest.

B. Upon receipt of a timely protest, the DPA will, within ten (10) business days of receipt of the protest, issue a decision in writing which shall state the reasons for the actions taken.

C. The County may, after providing written justification, make the determination that an immediate award of the contract is necessary to protect the substantial interests of the

County. The award of a contract shall in no way compromise the protester’s right to the protest procedures outlined herein.

D. If the protestor disagrees with the decision of the DPA, the protestor may submit a written appeal to the County Procurement Officer requesting an appeal to the

Procurement Appeals Board, in accordance with the process stated below.

APPEALS PROCESS

A. If the protestor wishes to appeal the protest decision of the Deputy Procurement Agent, the protestor must submit, within three (3) business days from receipt of the Deputy

Procurement Agent’s decision, a written appeal to the Office of the County Procurement

Officer.

Written appeals must be sent by mail to the address below with a courtesy copy by email;

County of Orange/County Executive Office

County Procurement Office

400 W. Civic Center Drive, 5th Floor

Santa Ana, CA 92701

Attn: County Procurement Officer

CPOAppeals@ceo.oc.gov

B. Within fifteen (15) business days, the County Procurement Officer will review all materials in connection with the appeal, assess the merits of the protest and provide a written determination that shall contain his or her decision on whether the appeal shall be forwarded to the Procurement Appeals Board.

mailto:CPOAppeals@ocgov.com

C. The decision of the County Procurement Officer on whether to allow the appeal to go forward will be final and there shall be no right to any administrative appeals of this decision.

SECTION 3. SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 GENERAL INFORMATION:

The County of Orange is comprised of 22 Departments and over 18,000 employees located throughout the County. The County’s core businesses are public safety, public works, construction management, public health, environmental protection, regional planning, public assistance, social services, and aviation.

3.2 SUMMARY:

This Contract is for Tree Maintenance Services for various locations throughout the County of

Orange, including but not limited to OC Parks, OC Public Libraries and OC Animal Care.

Contractor shall furnish all staffing, labor, equipment, materials, and incidentals necessary to provide Tree Maintenance Services as described in this Scope of Work. Contractor must obtain prior written approval from the County Project Manager or designee before performing any work related to plant health care, pest surveying, arborist services, or other related activities. The

Contractor may be required to perform various tree maintenance services, with estimated annual work volumes including, but not limited to: pruning 8,000 to 12,000 trees, treating 1,000 to

3,000 trees for pests, removing 200 to 400 trees, and planting 300 to 600 trees. These quantities are estimates only and are subject to change at the sole discretion of the County.

3.3 CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS:

A. GIS Tree Inventory System and Experience

A. Contractor shall have a minimum of five (5) years of experience building and maintaining client GIS tree inventories in geodatabase format, including maintenance cycles, work history, tree health/condition, tree attributes, pest infestation levels, etc.

B. All GIS data and inventory records created by the Contractor are property of the County.

C. Contractor’s GIS Tree Inventory System shall be fully compatible with the latest version of ESRI ArcGIS and must have the capability to export in shapefile (.shp) format.

D. Contractor shall provide access to its GIS Tree Inventory System to be used by County staff and consultants for work order creation or work history review.

E. Contractor’s GIS Tree Inventory System must allow for additional attributes per County needs and be able to produce customized reports.

F. Contractor shall provide a complete inventory export to County Project Manager or designee annually at the conclusion of each contract year.

G. Each tree site shall have its attributes accurately updated as needed in the GIS Tree

Inventory System every time a work activity is completed on the tree(s).

H. All work completed on each tree shall be promptly added as work history to the tree site record in the GIS Tree Inventory System.

I. Initial tree inventory lists(s) will be provided by County to Contractor. See Attachments J and K.

B. Relevant Contracting Experience

A. Contractor shall have a minimum of five (5) years of experience contracting with entities similar in size and scope to the County of Orange.

C. Licensing and Certification

A. Contractor shall maintain a valid California State Contractors License Board (CSLB) license: 1. C27 – Landscaping Contractor 2. C61 – Limited Specialty 3. D49 – Tree

Service Contractor and/or C49 Tree and Palm ContractorB. Contractor shall maintain valid certifications from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation:

1. Pest Control Business license (required)

2. Qualified Applicator License (required)

3. Pest Control Advisor (recommended)

C. Contractor shall provide proof Managers, Supervisors, Foremen, Leads working directly on this contract have as appropriate the following International Society of Arboriculture

(ISA) certifications:

1. ISA Certified Arborist

2. ISA Certified Tree Climber

3. ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified

4. Wildlife Aware Trained Certification or equivalent.

3.4 CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS:

A. Supervision

A. Contractor shall provide a supervisor and/or foreman present at all times during contract operations while on County property.

B. The supervisor/foreman shall be responsible for the conduct and workmanship of the crew.

C. The supervisor/foreman must communicate effectively in both written and spoken

English.

B. Industry Standards

A. All work shall follow accepted arboricultural practices appropriate for each specific tree species.

B. Work shall comply with:

1. Current ANSI A300 (Part 1) – 2023 Tree Care Standards

2. Current ANSI Z133 Safety Requirements for Arboricultural Operations

C. Tree Marking

A. Trees shall not be visibly marked for any reason, including work identification unless approved by County Project Manager or designee.

D. Hazard Identification

A. Contractor shall report via email to County Project Manager or designee any tree(s) observed with structural weaknesses, decay, split crotches, or other hazards discovered within one (1) business day.

E. Pesticides-Use, Applications and Reporting for OC Parks

A. Contractor shall comply with OC Park’s Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPM Plan)

(See Attachment D). Additionally, contractor shall not be permitted to utilize any pesticide formulation with the active ingredient glyphosate in any areas accessible to the public.

B. Contractor shall maintain a valid Pest Control Business License, Qualified Applicator

License (QAL), and registration with the County of Orange Agricultural Commissioner’s

Office. Possession of a Pest Control Adviser (PCA) License is highly desirable. Pesticide handlers shall complete annual training per California Code of Regulations §6724.

C. Contractor shall provide an official PCA recommendation annually for each pesticide and use scenario. All directives in PCA recommendations, pesticide labels, safety data sheets, and applicable laws and regulations must be followed.

D. When applying pesticides:

1. Contractor shall submit an OC Parks Pesticide Application Notice (See Attachment

E) to the OC Parks IPM Coordinator and County Project Manager or designee at the facility receiving treatment a minimum of 48 hours in advance of any pesticide application.

2. Upon application notice approval and prior to the start of work, the notice shall be posted at the park entrance, as well as on stakes and existing sign boards where applicable around and within the treatment site that is reasonably visible to passersby.

All posted notices shall be promptly removed after the product label’s restricted entry interval (REI) has ended. Posted application notices shall not be permitted to remain posted onsite after the workday concludes.

E. Contractor shall maintain perimeter control and prevent entry into active treatment areas by passersby and unauthorized personnel. Control measures shall include a combination of application notice signage, physical barriers, and additional staff, as appropriate for the scale of work and the specific facility. In publicly accessible areas where physical barriers cannot fully restrict entry in large working areas, Contractor shall provide at least one additional staff member to ensure public exclusion from the treatment area and serve as a liaison to address public questions about the treatments. F. No off-target drift, drips, or leaks will be allowed. All spray equipment shall be maintained in good working order. G. All pesticide applications performed on OC Parks property must be logged into the OC Parks Pesticide Tracking Application (http://trax.ocparks.com/) by the 10th of the following month. A user guide is provided in (See Attachment F).

F. Reporting for completed work in OC Park Facilities

1. Upon request by the County Project Manager or designee, for the contract term

Contractor shall provide live tree inventory analyses and benefits that quantify the environmental and economic value of the County’s existing inventoried trees on an ongoing basis. Additional compensation for this ongoing service shall be authorized under the “Hourly Work” line item.

H. Recycling of Materials

A. At the request of County Project Manager or designee, disease/insect-free processed wood chips may be deposited opportunistically in Park facilities.B. Contractor shall maintain monthly records of total green waste recycled. C. Contractor shall provide quarterly reports documenting: 1. Total green waste generated and recycled offsite. 2.

Total processed green waste generated and reused onsite within County facilities.

I. Diseased and Infested Trees

A. During tree pruning work, tools must be disinfected between trees suspected of infection by Contractor or County Project Manager or designee (e.g., ghost canker, fusarium wilt, pink rot, phytophthora, blights, etc.).

B. All debris from trees with known pests/diseases (e.g., Invasive Shot Hole Borer, Fusarium, Gold Spotted Oak Borer, etc.) shall be processed as applicable and transported http://trax.ocparks.com/) offsite to a facility certified to receive the material according to the current University of

California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Best Management Practices (BMPs). Infested material should never be transported outside of the known infestation zone unless processed, covered, and approved by County Project Manager or designee. C. County

Project Manager or designee may request infested material (ISHB, GSOB, etc.) that is properly processed to less than three (3) inches left onsite. D. No additional charges shall be allowed for tool disinfection or special handling of infested material.

J. Public Relations

A. Contractor staff shall be professional, courteous, and respectful to the public and County staff at all times. B. Contractor shall provide advance notice to the appropriate County staff prior to beginning operations in highly visible areas.

K. Traffic and Pedestrian Control

A. Contractor shall provide appropriate signage, cones, barricades, and flaggers as needed to ensure safety.B. Contractor shall file for any encroachment permits when working outside of County property. C. Work zones shall comply with current Cal-OSHA and

Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) standards.

L. Equipment Requirements

A. All equipment must be maintained in safe working conditions.B. Equipment shall not leak fluids and must comply with all applicable regulations. C. Gas blowers (backpack or handheld) are strictly prohibited. Non-compliance shall be addressed following the deficient performance procedures set for in: Zero emission leaf blowers with max sound level of 65db may be used. D. 100% petroleum free biodegradable bar and chain oil shall be used. Non-compliance shall result in the administration of the deficient performance procedures.

M. Special Equipment Requirements- OC Parks Zoo

A. While pruning in the OC Zoo and its proximal landscaped perimeter, battery powered chainsaws and hand saws shall only be used. Combustion engine powered equipment shall not be used in this area without approval from County Project Manager or designee.

N. Progress Reports

A. Contractor shall provide daily work logs when requested by County Project Manager or designee. B. Contractor shall submit incident reports to the County Project Manager or designee within 24 hours of any accident, injury, or property damage.

3.5 CYCLE PRUNING SPECIFICATIONS

A. All cycle pruning work in regional parks shall be performed in accordance with ANSI A300

(Part 1) – 2023 Tree Care Standards, utilizing the Natural Pruning System.

B. Pruning Objectives

A. Risk Management

1. Identify and mitigate structural defects, dead or diseased limbs, and other hazardous conditions.

2. Priority shall be given to removal of deadwood, broken, cracked, or hanging limbs, and structural defects.

3. All pruning cuts shall maintain tree structure and natural form.

B. Health Management

1. Remove dead, diseased, or pest-infested branches to support tree health.

2. Improve air circulation and light penetration as appropriate.

3. No more than 25% of live crown shall be removed within a growing season.

C. Clearance Pruning

1. Provide clearance from buildings, utilities, signage, and infrastructure.

2. Clearance cuts shall be made to lateral branches capable of sustaining growth.

3. Clearance over-travelled roads shall be set at a minimum of 14’ for emergency vehicle access.

County Project Manager or designee shall be consulted before all 6”+ cuts.

4. Clearance over designated pedestrian pathways shall be set at 8’ minimum to ensure safe passage. County Project Manager or designee shall be consulted before all 6”+ cuts.

C. Routine Cycle Pruning Guidelines for OC Park Facilities

A. OC Parks developed park trees shall receive regular cycle pruning on a frequency from 1-

5 years depending on tree species, age, and location. General guidelines are listed below.

Subject to change based on County Project Manager or designee directives.

B. 1 year pruning cycle species example

1. Palms (fan palms to 10–2, date palms to 3–9, fruit/flowers removed).

2. Erythrina species

3. Schinus molle crown raised annually on non “natural pruning” cycle years.

C. Routine cycle pruning shall not occur during nesting season (February-August)

D. Mature Quercus species shall only receive a crown raise/clearance prune.

E. Wildlife inspection by trained personnel required prior to work; no additional compensation provided.

D. Non-Routine Work (Work Orders)

A. Assigned as needed for trimming, removal, stump or limb removal, tree health care treatments, arborist consulting services, and inventory updates.

B. Wildlife inspection required before work; no additional compensation provided.

C. Written quotes due within two (2) business days.

D. Work to be started within two (2) weeks.

E. Non-Routine work requests not completed within 2 weeks of County Project Manager or designee notification shall be expedited and completed following the same time schedule as set forth in “Section V.4. Emergency Response” with no additional compensation. F.

Stumps shall be ground immediately following the falling of the bole. If stumps cannot be ground the same day a high stump must be left and the County Project Manager or designee notified. Remaining stump shall be ground at the earliest opportunity in coordination with County Project Manager or designee.

E. Hourly Work

A. Used only for tasks not covered under separate line items. B. Not permitted as a substitute for existing line items for large or hazardous trees, inclement weather, heavy canopy, hanging limbs, poor/difficult access or rigging.

3.6 WORK COORDINATION, SCHEDULING, AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE:

A. Work Coordination

A. Contractor must plan around County programming and events. B. Start dates must be coordinated with the County Project Manager or designee and Facility Supervisor 72 hours in advance.

B. Work Schedules

A. Weekly email updates must be provided by Thursday at 5:00PM PT B. Written two-week lookahead schedules are due the 1st and 3rd Monday via email to County Project

Manager or designee. C. Priority work must be reflected in schedules. D. Normal work hours: Monday–Friday, 6:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

C. Priority Work

A. Non-routine work assigned to Contractor that is time sensitive B. Priority work must be completed within seven (7) days of County staff notice. Failure to complete may result in a penalty C. Quotes due within one (1) business day. D. Mobilization fee applies per work order.

D. Emergency Response

A. Four (4) emergency contacts due within one (1) week of contract award. B. Contractor must respond within two (2) hours of County staff notice, 24 hours a day-7 day a week-

365 days a year. Failure to respond may result in a penalty C. Written quotes and/or job status update for emergency work shall be due the next business day. D. Mobilization fee shall apply per each incident location, not per tree. E. Debris from emergency work shall be removed or stockpiled safely by the next day.

3.7 TREE PLANTING:

A. All tree planting shall be performed in accordance with ANSI A300 (Part 1) – 2023 Tree

Care Standards.

B. Contractor shall provide photos of nursery stock selected for planting and provide to

County Project Manager or designee for approval prior to purchase and transport to planting site(s).

C. When space allows, new trees shall be staked using the triple staking method with 2” X

8’ or 2” X 10’ lodgepoles, whichever is most appropriate for tree height. (See Attachment

G)

D. Tree ties shall be installed following the figure 8 method and shall never be intertwined around the trunk. (See Attachment H)

E. All nursery ties/stakes shall be removed.

F. A tree trunk protector shall be properly installed on each new tree located in turfgrass or groundcover.

G. New trees shall be properly identified and entered into the tree inventory system at no additional cost.

H. New trees shall be warrantied for a period of six (6) months. During this six-month period, the Contractor shall provide the following services on a monthly basis:

1. Structural young tree pruning (when needed): remove crossing branches, deadwood, promote a single leader with proper subordination pruning cuts, develop proper spacing between permanent scaffold branches, correct weight imbalances/lean in developing crown, etc.

2. Re-stake and Re-tie as necessary to correct trunk leans.

3. Water (when necessary)

4. Once the six-month warrantied period is over, the Contractor shall provide current photo documentation of the tree(s) in good health to County Project Manager or designee and add the tree(s) to the applicable cycle pruning schedule.

3.8 WORK PROPOSALS AND INVOICING:

A. Prior to the commencement of work Contractor shall provide an accurate work proposal with the following information:

A. Job location

B. Work description

C. Contract line item with quantity and price

D. Total cost of job

B. All work proposals must be field validated for accuracy by Contractor prior to submission to County Project Manager or designee.

C. Once work proposal is approved, a requisition number (RX#) from OCCR is assigned to the work.

D. The cost proposal shall not be changed without prior County Project Manager or designee written authorization.

E. Refer to “Attachment B” invoicing instructions.

3.9 DEFICIENT CONTRACT PERFORMANCE:

A. The County Project Manager or designee shall regularly inspect for contract performance on schedule to ensure contract specifications held within this scope of work are adhered to by

Contractor.

B. Unauthorized tree removal or damage, delayed response to work requests, failure to secure facility gates, damage to County property, or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of this Contract are strictly prohibited and shall be construed as a material of breach of Contract.

C. The County reserves all rights and remedies available for enforcing Contractor's noncompliance with the terms and conditions of this Contract.

3.10 LOCATIONS

A. Refer to “Attachment I” OCCR Facility List for a detailed listing of current service locations.

The County reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to add, modify, or remove facilities from this list at any time throughout the term of the Contract.

SECTION 4. PROPOSAL SCORING CRITERIA

Phase 1 - Written Proposal Scoring: 600 points maximum

Phase 2 - Presentation/Interview Scoring: 340 points maximum

Phase 3 - Price Proposal: 60 points maximum

4.1 PHASE 1

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Background, Qualifications & Experience

Please provide information regarding your organization, including a short description of the experience in providing tree maintenance and management services for regional, large public recreation parks, or private industry of similar size and scope, length of time in business and company size.

Include both private and public sector work and the following information:

A. Name and address of location

B. Client name and reference contact information

C. Brief description of services provided

D. Length of time services were provided

Points Based 180 (30% of Total)

2. Approach and Understanding of Scope of

Work

Please provide a brief synopsis of Respondent’s understanding of County’s needs and how

Respondent plans to meet these needs. This could provide a broad understanding of

Respondent’s entire proposal. It should also include a statement that Respondent will provide all the services included in the “Scope of Work”

Points Based 180 (30% of Total)

3. Technical Expertise and Qualifications

Please provide the following information:

• Employee roster indicating classification, arborist and other certifications

• Number of crews available for bulk of annual tree trimming (Oct. –

March)

• Pest Control Advisor and Qualified

Applicators used to perform plant health care – provide licenses and training records

• In house GIS capabilities

• GIS functionality with newest version of ESRI ArcGIS

• GIS feature class and attributes to meet OC Parks needs

• GIS mobile app or GIS mobile web capabilities with offline maps, indicate Android/iOS

• Provide mobile GIS access to OC

Parks staff and consultants

Points Based 180 (30% of Total)

4. Organization/Completeness of Response

A. Proposal demonstrates understanding of project and objectives as it relates to the scope of work.

B. Proposal demonstrates requirements are addressed and adhered to.

C. Proposal is complete, comprehensive, and well-organized.

Points Based 30 (5% of Total)

5. Compliance with the County Model

Contract

*Note: Respondents submitting exceptions to the County Model Contract of this RFP, will receive a score of “0” for this criterion.

Points Based 30 (5% of Total)

4.2 PHASE 2

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Presentation/Interview Scoring Format: 340 points maximum:

County reserves the right to conduct, or to not conduct, oral interviews and/or presentations with the highest-scored Respondent(s). The decision whether to conduct oral interviews/presentations rests solely with

County and the decision of the DPA is final.

Respondents shall be ready to attend interview within fifteen (15) calendar days of notification.

Any inquiry to determine the responsibility of a

Respondent to this RFP may be conducted.

Respondent agrees that the submission of a

Proposal is permission by Respondent for

County to verify all information contained therein. If County believes it necessary, additional information may be requested from

Respondent. The County may also send written questions and ask for written responses within five (5) business days. Failure to comply with any such request may disqualify a Respondent from further consideration. Respondents must be prepared to discuss all aspects of their proposal in detail, including technical questions.

Respondents will not be allowed to alter or amend their Proposal through the use of the presentation process.

Points Based 340 (100% of Total)

4.3 PHASE 3

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Price Proposal

The proposal with the lowest cost receives the maximum points allowed for this criterion. All other proposals receive a percentage of the points available based on their cost relationship to the lowest proposal.

Should any Preference Policies apply, the

Preference Policy Applicable to Cost Proposal criteria will be scored.

A. Request for Proposal (RFP):

An additional five percent (5%) shall be applied to the tallied cost score of each certified OCLSB or DVBE to obtain their final score. If the final score of any OCLSB or DVBE matches the final score of a non-

OCLSB or non-DVBE, preference shall be given to the certified

OCLSB. If two or more OCLSB or

DVBEs have the same final score, the

County shall determine the contract award based on the County’s best interest.

B. Dual OCLSB and DVBE Preference provides for the following:

1. Business Certified as OCLSB and DVBE If a State-certified OCLSB is also a State-certified DVBE, the preference given to that business shall be 8% instead of 5%.

C. Subcontractors:

If bidder is submitting subcontractors to qualify for the OCLSB or DVBE preference, bidder must demonstrate through the Staffing Plan that 20% of the total bid amount is allocated to the OCLSB and/or DVBE subcontractor(s).

Points Based 60 (100% of Total)

SECTION 5. PRICING PROPOSAL

Respondents offering the lowest price proposal for the items in Table 1 (Routine Cycle

Pruning Tree Maintenance and Other High-Volume Work) will receive the full points available under the cost evaluation criterion using the Ratio Method. All other proposals will receive proportionally lower points based on their total proposed project cost.

Ratio Method: In this method the proposal with the lowest cost receives the maximum points allowed for this criterion (60 points). All other proposals receive a percentage of the points available based on their cost relationship to the lowest proposal.