PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

REQUEST FOR QUOTES (MINOR PUBLIC WORKS) (BID )# 198038

TREE PRUNING AND REMOVAL SERVICES

BID DUE DATE: Wednesday, September 9, 2026 BEFORE 3:00 pm

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section 1 Request for Quotes Summary

Section 2 Instruction to Bidders

Section 3 Specifications/Scope of Work

Section 4 Bidder's Questionnaire

Attachments:

A - Minor Public Works Contract Template - Includes Insurance Requirements and

Bond Forms

B - Streetlight Drawing

C - City of Palo Alto Map Zones

D - RFQ Services Bid Form (PDF)

E - RFQ Services Bid Form (Excel)

F - RFQ Services Bid Form (Word)

Request for Quotes (RFQ) #198038 2 Tree Pruning and Removal Services

Request for Quotes (RFQ) #198038 3

1. REQUEST FOR QUOTES SUMMARY

1.1. Quote Submittal Information

Bids shall be submitted electronically through the City’s OpenGov portal at:

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/palo-alto-ca

RFQ Date: August 12, 2026

Question Submission Deadline: August 26, 2026, 1:00pm

Question Response Deadline: September 2, 2026, 5:00pm

Quote Submission Deadline: September 9, 2026, 3:00pm

1.2. Addenda/Clarifications/Questions

Should discrepancies be found in this RFQ or should there be a need to clarify this RFQ, Questions/Clarifications must be received by no later than 1:00 pm on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.

Correspondence shall be communicated through the City’s OpenGov portal within the Q&A tab.

Responses from the City will be communicated through the City’s OpenGov portal to all recipients of this

RFQ via addendum. Inquiries received after the date and time stated may not be accepted. All addenda shall become part of this RFQ and acknowledged through the City’s OpenGov portal. The City shall not be responsible for nor be bound by any oral instructions, interpretations or explanations issued by the

City or its representatives.

“A contractor or subcontractor shall not be qualified to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, subject to the requirements of Section 4104 of the Public Contract Code, or engage in the performance of any contract for public work, as defined in this chapter, unless currently registered and qualified to perform public work pursuant to Section 1725.5. It is not a violation of this section for an unregistered contractor to submit a bid that is authorized by Section 7029.1 of the Business and Professions Code or by Section

10164 or 20103.5 of the Public Contract Code, provided the contractor is registered to perform public work pursuant to Section 1725.5 at the time the contract is awarded.”

Please note: If the City is unable to confirm that the bidder/contractor’s DIR registration is current, the

City may disqualify the bidder in accordance with applicable law including but not limited to Labor Code section 1725.5.

1.3. Verification of Contractor's License

The City will verify the status of the contractor’s license by checking the Contractor’ State License Board

(www.cslb.ca.gov). The contractor's license and business must match. This verification includes information on any outstanding Board disciplinary action pending against the contractor.

1.4. Pre-Bid Conference

A Pre-Bid Conference is not scheduled.

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/palo-alto-ca https://www.cslb.ca.gov/

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1.5. Contractor's License Type

The prime contractor for this work shall possess a valid State of California Contractor’s License in the following category or categories:

Class: C-49, C-61, or D-49.

2. INSTRUCTION TO BIDDERS

The below Instructions to Bidders includes requirements for submitting a Bid for this request for quotes.

2.1. Submittal

Quotes shall be submitted through the City’s electronic procurement system. A Quote which is attempted to be delivered or which is received after the stated time shall be deemed non-responsive and rejected. The Bidder shall have the sole and exclusive responsibility for ensuring that a quote is received by the time stated herein. Any Quote that is incomplete, unclear, or that fails to fully comply with the applicable requirements set forth herein, including, but not limited to, use of the forms provided by the City, may be rejected as nonresponsive.

2.2. Responsibility of Bidder

A Quote shall be submitted at the sole cost and expense of the Bidder and, in submitting such quote to the City, the Bidder waives any claim or demand against the City which the Bidder may have for any direct or indirect cost or expense of preparing and submitting such Quote.

2.3. Bid Submittals

Bid Form and Bidder’s Documents: Bids must be submitted though the City’s OpenGov portal. Bidder must complete all required items in full and provide signed versions of any documents required in this

RFQ (collectively, the “Bidder’s Documents”). The Bidder will ensure that the information the Bidder inputs into the electronic procurement system matches the information on the Bidder’s Documents it uploads to the electronic procurement system. Any conflict or discrepancy will be resolved as provided in below in "Requirements and Order of Precedence", below, of this Section ("Bid Submittals").

Bidder’s Questionnaire: Each Bid must be accompanied by a completed Bidder’s Questionnaire as provided in this RFQ. Submission of a Bidder’s Questionnaire containing false or incomplete information may be grounds for rejection of the Bid as non-responsive and/or disqualification of the Bidder as not responsible.

Requirements and Order of Precedence: In the event of any conflict or discrepancy between any requirements provided in this RFQ (including but not limited to bid submittal requirements) and any requirements that may be stated in the City’s electronic procurement system, the requirements of this

RFQ will control. In the event of any conflict or discrepancy between information included on (or omitted from) the Bid Form or Bidder’s Documents uploaded to the City’s electronic procurement system and any information inputted into the City’s electronic procurement system, the information included on (or omitted from) the uploaded information or Bidder’s Documents will control. For clarity, Request for Quotes (RFQ) #198038 5 the Bidder’s Documents uploaded into the electronic procurement system constitute a Bidder’s Bid, whereas the information a Bidder inputs into the electronic procurement system is for administrative convenience and will not control over the uploaded Bidder’s Documents in event of a conflict or discrepancy.

2.4. Bid Authorization

Any person logging into the electronic procurement system to submit a Bid or any other electronic document required by the City must be authorized by the company or entity being represented, either in a personal or representative capacity, to access and submit such bid documents. If the person does business under his or her own name, that person shall login under his or her own login as authorized by the City’s OpenGov portal. If the person does business under a fictitious business name, that person shall login under his or her own login as authorized by the City's OpenGov portal. If the person logins for and on behalf of a partnership, the person shall do so with his or her authority to sign/login under his or her own login as authorized by the OpenGov.

2.5. Withdrawal of Bid

Prior to the date and time set for the opening of Bids, a Bidder who has submitted a bid and accepted the terms and conditions in the City’s electronic procurement system, may withdraw its bid by selecting

“Unsubmit Bid” at any time before the deadline for the receipt of Bids as specified in the RFQ Summary.

No Bidder may withdraw its Bid for a period of ninety (90) days after the date set for the opening of, subject to applicable California Law and Palo Alto Municipal Code Section 2.30.460(c), whichever occurs first.

2.6. Request(s) for Clarification

Any Bidder may submit a Question or Inquiry to the Question & Answer section of this RFQ for the clarification of any aspect of the Specifications or any other related information, or part thereof, which is a part of the RFQ. Such request shall be submitted electronically via the City’s electronic procurement system Q&A function. Such requests shall be submitted before 1:00 pm on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. All responses will be made available on the City's OpenGov portal at least three (3) Business Days prior to the opening of Quotes. The City reserves the right to issue an addendum or addenda per the

"Addenda" Section of the Instructions to Bidders of the RFQ.

2.7. Addenda

The City reserves the right to issue a written Addendum or Addenda to the electronic solicitation prior to the bid closing date and time. During the Bid process there may be changes to the Contract

Documents, which would require an issuance of an addendum or Addenda. City disclaims any and all liability for loss, or damage to any Bidder who does not receive any addendum issued by City in connection with this RFQ. Any Bidder by submitting a Bid waives any and all claims and demands Bidder may have against City on account of the failure of delivery of any such Addendum to Bidder. Any and all

Addenda issued by City shall be deemed included in this RFQ, and the provisions and instructions therein contained shall be incorporated into any Bid submitted by Bidder.

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2.8. Specifications

The specifications or scope of work included have been prepared to describe the standard quality, and other characteristics needed to meet City requirements. The City will accept alternate quotation of a designed material, product, thing, service, “or equal”, and will determine if such alternate quotation(s) are satisfactory in meeting a mandatory requirement or specification and if the proposed alternate meets the intent of the original mandatory requirement. The City reserves the right in its sole discretion to reject any alternate proposals that do not meet the specifications. This current section is a subsection of "Instructions to Bidders" and is not the "Specifications" section. See "Specifications/Scope of Work" section of this RFQ.

2.9. Prevailing Wages

This Project is subject to prevailing wages and related requirements as a “public works” under

California Labor Code Sections 1720 et seq. and related regulations. Contractor is required to pay general prevailing wages as defined in California Labor Code Section 1773.1 and Subchapter 3, Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations Section 16000 et seq., as amended from time to time. Pursuant to

Labor Code Section 1773, the City has obtained the general prevailing rate of per diem wages and the general rate for holiday and overtime work in this locality for each craft, classification, or type of worker needed to execute the contract for this Project from the State of California Department of Industrial

Relations (“DIR”). Copies of these rates may be obtained at the City’s Purchasing Department office. The general prevailing wage rates are also available at the DIR, Division of Labor Statistics and Research, website (see e.g. http://www.dir.ca.gov/DLSR/PWD/index.htm) as amended from time to time.

Contractor shall post a copy of the general prevailing wage rates at all Project job sites and shall pay the adopted prevailing wage rates as a minimum. Contractor shall comply with all applicable provisions of

Division 2, Part 7, Chapter 1 of the California Labor Code (Labor Code Section 1720 et seq.), including, but not limited to, Sections 1720, 1725.5, 1771, 1771.1, 1771.4, 1773.2, 1774, 1775, 1776, 1777.5, 1782, 1810, 1813 and 1815, and all applicable implementing regulations, including but not limited to

Subchapter 3, Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations Section 16000 et seq. (8 CCR Section 16000 et seq.), as amended from time to time.

2.10. DIR Registration and Other Requirements

General Notice to Contractor

City requires Contractor and its Subcontractors to comply with all applicable requirements of the

California Labor Code including but not limited to Labor Code Sections 1720 through 1861, and all applicable related regulations, including but not limited to Subchapter 3, Title 8 of the California Code of

Regulations Section 16000 et seq., as amended from time to time. Additional information regarding public works and prevailing wage requirements is available on the DIR website (see e.g.

http://www.dir.ca.gov) as amended from time to time.

Labor Code Section 1771.1(a)

City provides notice to Contractor of the requirements of California Labor Code section 1771.1(a), which reads:

http://www.dir.ca.gov/DLSR/PWD/index.htm) http://www.dir.ca.gov/

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“A contractor or subcontractor shall not be qualified to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, subject to the requirements of Section 4104 of the Public Contract Code, or engage in the performance of any contract for public work, as defined in this chapter, unless currently registered and qualified to perform public work pursuant to Section 1725.5. It is not a violation of this section for an unregistered contractor to submit a bid that is authorized by Section 7029.1 of the Business and Professions Code or Section 10164 or 20103.5 of the Public Contract Code, provided the contactor is registered to perform public work pursuant to Section 1725.5 at the time the contract is awarded.”

DIR Registration Required

City will not accept a bid proposal from or enter into this Construction Contract with Contractor without proof that Contractor and its Subcontractors are registered with the California Department of Industrial

Relations (“DIR”) to perform public work, subject to limited exceptions.

Posting of Job Site Notices; Compliance Monitoring

City gives notice to Contractor and its Subcontractors that Contractor is required to post all job site notices prescribed by law or regulation and Contractor is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by DIR.

2.11. Certified Payroll

Contractor shall furnish certified payroll records directly to the Labor Commissioner (DIR) in accordance with Subchapter 3, Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations Section 16461 (8 CCR Section 16461).

City requires Contractor and its Subcontractors to comply with the requirements of Labor Code section

1776, including but not limited to:

i. Keep accurate payroll records, showing the name, address, social security number, work classification, straight time and overtime hours worked each day and week, and the actual per diem wages paid to each journeyman, apprentice, worker, or other employee employed by, respectively, Contractor and its Subcontractors, in connection with the Project.

ii. The payroll records shall be verified as true and correct and shall be certified and made available for inspection at all reasonable hours at the principal office of

Contractor and its Subcontractors, respectively.

iii. At the request of City, acting by its Project Manager, Contractor and its

Subcontractors shall make the certified payroll records available for inspection or furnished upon request to the City’s Project Manager within ten (10) days of receipt of City’s request.

iv. If the certified payroll records are not provided as required within the 10-day period, then Contractor and its Subcontractors shall be subject to a penalty of one hundred dollars ($100.00) per calendar day, or portion thereof, for each worker, and

City shall withhold the sum total of penalties from the progress payment(s) then due

Request for Quotes (RFQ) #198038 8 and payable to Contractor. This provision supplements the provisions of Section 15 hereof.

v. Inform the City’s Project Manager of the location of Contractor’s and its

Subcontractors’ payroll records (street address, city and county) at the commencement of the Project, and also provide notice to the City’s Project

Manager within five (5) business days of any change of location of those payroll records.

2.12. Employment of Apprentices

Contractor shall comply with the statutory requirements regarding employment of apprentices including without limitation Labor Code Section 1777.5. The statutory provisions will be enforced for penalties for failure to pay prevailing wages and for failure to comply with wage and hour laws.

2.13. Opening of Bids

Electronic Opening

All Bidders and members of the public may view bid results in the electronic procurement system after bid closing. The City reserves the right to change the originally scheduled Bid date and time to a later date and time by issuing an electronic Addendum to that effect. Any and all Quotes received by the City on or before the deadline shall be accepted by the electronic procurement system on the date scheduled for the due date.

2.14. Contract Award

Subject to the conditions of this RFQ, the City will award the contract, if an award is made, to the lowest responsive and responsible Bidder. In determining whether the Bidder is responsible, the City will use the criteria set forth in Palo Alto Municipal Code Section 2.30.440, as set forth below:

1. To have demonstrated the attribute of trustworthiness, and to have the quality, fitness, capacity, experience, and skill to satisfactorily perform the work, or provide the goods and/or services called for in the request for quotes;

2. To have the ability to perform the contract within the time specified;

3. To have the equipment, facilities and resources of such capacity and location to enable the bidder to perform the contract;

4. To have the ability to provide, as required, future maintenance, repair, parts and service for the use of goods purchased;

5. To have a record of satisfactory or better performance under prior contracts with the city or others; and

6. To have complied with applicable laws, regulations, policies (including city policies), guidelines and orders governing prior or existing contracts performed by the bidder.

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2.15. Determination of Lowest Bid

The lowest bid shall be the lowest total of the bid prices quoted on the Pricing Schedule Total. The lowest bid shall be the lowest total of the Base Bid prices for years 1-5. Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, and Year 5 specifically identified in this RFQ are also being used for the purpose of determining the Bid price. For purposes of this section, the Bid for Year 1 and all additional years are used in determining the Bid price.

2.16. Waiver of Minor Irregularities

The City may exercise its discretion to waive minor irregularities, defects or informalities in the

Bids/Quotes, so long as the waiver would not affect the amount of the Bid or give the Bidder an advantage over others.

2.17. Bid Discrepancies

In the case of a discrepancy between a written amount and the corresponding figures, the written amount shall govern. In the case of a discrepancy between an item price and the corresponding unit price multiplied by the corresponding estimated quantity, the unit price multiplied by the estimated quantity shall govern. In the case of discrepancy between the actual arithmetic total of all items and the total stated by the Bidder, the actual arithmetic total shall govern.

2.18. Award of Contract and Rejection of Bids

Decision to Award

A contract may be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder. The City reserves the right to award more than one Contract with respect to the RFQ.

Decision to Reject

The City reserves the unfettered right to reject all Quotations for any reason or for no reason, to re-advertise an RFQ, or to cancel an RFQ. The City reserves the right to reject as non-responsive any

Quotation which is incomplete, modified, unsigned, or illegible or which is not otherwise submitted in accordance with the requirements of this RFQ.

2.19. Certification of Nondiscrimination

By submitting a quotation, the Bidder certifies that: in the performance of the Contract, if awarded, it shall not discriminate in the employment of any person due to the race, skin color, gender, gender identity, age, religion, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, pregnancy, genetic information or condition, housing status, marital status, familial status, weight or height of such person;

and further certifies that it is in compliance with all Federal, State and local laws, regulations, rules, directives and executive orders regarding nondiscrimination in employment.

2.20. Exceptions

To the specifications, scope of work, General Services Agreement or requirements issued must be itemized and justified in writing and included with proposals or quotations submitted.

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2.21. Performance, Payment Surety Bonds

Within ten (10) business days of issuance of the Notice of Award, the selected Bidder shall furnish City a

Performance Surety Bond, and Payment Surety Bond. Both bonds shall be in the amount of 100% of the

Contract Sum, and in accordance with requirements contained in the General Conditions of this RFQ.

2.22. Insurance Requirements

The Bidder awarded the Contract must, for the term of the Contract obtain and maintain insurance with the coverage specified the attachment regarding Insurance Requirements , provided by companies with

AM Best’s key rating of A-:VII, or higher, which are licensed or authorized to transact insurance business in the state of California.

3. SPECIFICATIONS/SCOPE OF WORK

3.1. Scope of Services

The scope of contracted work shall consist of pruning, removal, stump grinding, and other maintenance of trees, palms, and other woody plants, along street corridors, and throughout parks, open spaces and facilities within the City of Palo Alto, hereafter referred to as the City. Work shall be administered and approved by representatives of the Department of Public Works, Public Services Division - Urban

Forestry Section.

PART I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Contractor shall be aware of and shall comply with the City of Palo Alto Municipal Codes governing tree work, traffic control and any other regulations that may affect operations.

It shall be understood that the Contractor will be required to perform and complete the proposed tree maintenance work in a thorough and professional manner, and to provide all labor, tools, equipment, materials and supplies necessary to perform the work described herein in strict accordance with these specifications and subject to the terms and conditions of the contract. All work shall be performed by a tree care contractor who shall be licensed by the State of California Contractors State License Board

(New category C-49 Tree and Palm Contractor or old category C- 61/Category D-49 Tree Service

Contractor) to provide such contract services within the State of California.

A. Measurement and Payment

Payment for the various items in the fee schedule, as further specified herein, shall include full compensation to the Contractor for furnishing all labor, materials, tools, equipment and incidentals, and for doing all the work involved in completing the various items of Work as detailed in this Scope of

Services and in the Specifications.

Work not specifically set forth as a pay item in the Contractor’s Fee Schedule but called for in the

Contract Specifications or necessary to meet the requirements of this Contract, shall be considered a subsidiary obligation of the Contractor.

No separate payment will be made for any item that is not specifically set forth in the fee schedule except by Additional Services which shall be approved by City’s Project Manager, and all costs therefore shall be included in the prices named in the fee schedule for the various appurtenant items of work.

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All work not meeting the Contract Specifications, unless otherwise approved by the City, shall be reworked at the Contractor’s expense. Work quantities included in this scope and associated solicitation documents are estimates and are not guaranteed and are subject to annual budgetary approval.

1. Unit Prices for Program Pruning, Palm Pruning, and Tree and Stump Removal (Fee Schedule Items 1, 2, 5 and 6)

Work:

Programmed Pruning, Palm Pruning, and Tree & Stump Removal areas are planned as contiguous areas or confined geographical areas within the City of Palo Alto boundaries such as:

Street and Parkway Areas

The City is divided into 6 geographic Street Tree Areas with approximately 4,400 trees per area that are included in this scope of services (Exhibit A-1). The intent of programmed pruning for street and parkway trees is to have all trees pruned within at least 4 (4) Areas a minimum one (1) time by the end of the 5-year contract period.

Park and Facility Areas

There are approximately 4,685 park and facility trees within the City’s boundaries included in this scope of services. The intent of programmed pruning is to have all parks trees included in this scope pruned a total of one (1) time during this 5-year contract period. Please note that some trees or specific locations included in this group may be assigned as Demand Pruning during this contract period.

Open Space Areas

There are approximately 1,100 landscape trees in the Arastradero, Foothills, and Baylands Open Space

Preserves. There are also approximately 1,000 trees in the road right-of-way along city maintained rural roads. The intent of programmed pruning open space areas is to have 150 trees pruned per year or a total of 750 pruned by the end of the 5-year contract period.

Measurement and Payment:

These items will be paid by quantity at a set cost. The Contractor shall include all labor and mobilization of equipment costs into its fee for all work required. There will be no separate measurement or payment for travel time.

2. Unit Prices for Demand Pruning (Fee Schedule Item 3)

Work:

Work orders for Demand Pruning are based on service requests with specific objectives in various locations within the City of Palo Alto boundaries and may or may not be at contiguous locations. These may be trees that are being pruned out of cycle or require work beyond typical pruning specifications.

At the discretion of the City’s Project Manager, Program Pruning at locations that require substantial traffic control measures (example: requiring the use of flaggers on arterial roads) may be billed at

Demand Pruning pricing.

Measurement and Payment:

These items will be paid by quantity at a set cost. The Contractor shall include all labor and mobilization of equipment costs into its fee for all work required. There will be no separate measurement or payment for travel time.

3. Hourly Rates for Basic Services (Fee Schedule Item 4)

Work:

Hourly work will be designated at the discretion of the Project Manager and may include, but is not

Request for Quotes (RFQ) #198038 12 limited to:

a. Crown Reduction/Crown Clean for Modesto Ash and other large-spread canopy trees*

b. Pruning requiring significant roping and rigging

c. Pruning in areas with limited accessibility (e.g. Open Space Park Trails)

d. Special Projects that require special services (e.g. Crane Services or 90- foot aerial lift)

e. Palm Skinning

f. Additional Stump Grinding outside of specified radii from existing stump

*Note: Modesto ashes and other large-spread canopy trees not requiring a crown reduction will be billed at Programmed pruning rates unless other factors deem Demand pruning rates more appropriate.

Measurement:

This item will be measured on a per hour basis (to the nearest quarter hour) for each three (3) person tree maintenance crew. Time at the Municipal Service Center, job site(s) and travel time between job sites will be measured. Lunchtime and debris disposal time will not be measured.

Payment:

This item will be paid on a per hour basis (to the nearest quarter hour) for each three (3) person tree maintenance crew or (2) person crew for stump removals. Payment will include full compensation for furnishing all labor, materials, tools, equipment and incidentals, and for doing all the work involved in completing this item of work as described here in this Scope of Services.

The City will not pay for non-productive time due to vehicle or equipment breakdowns, or lack of proper equipment to do the job. Overtime work shall only be authorized by the Project Manager. Contractor shall charge the City no more than the minimum overtime rate required by federal and state law.

B. Invoicing

The Contractor shall invoice Urban Forestry at the end of each calendar month, using a format approved in advance by the City. All invoices shall reference the contract number and detail the dates and hours worked by each crew during that month. Invoice format shall include but not be limited to a list of each street that tree maintenance operations took place, the address of each individual tree, the species and trunk diameter of each individual tree. Other reporting may be requested as needed. Failure to submit invoices in this format may result in non- payment until these requirements are met.

The City will promptly review all invoices submitted by the Contractor. Any invoice that the City determines is not proper will be returned to the Contractor with a written explanation of the reasons for the City’s determination. Any invoice that is properly submitted and undisputed by the City will be processed for payment and will be paid in full; retention will not be withheld.

C. Additional Services

The City may require additional Services for the Work to be performed or the materials to be furnished under the Contract pursuant to the provisions of the Contract documents.

No change to the Work shall be made or extra work performed or deduction from the Work made unless in pursuance of a written agreement from the City, and signed by the Project Manager stating that the work is authorized. No claim for additional payment shall be considered unless so ordered.

Adjustment to the Contract Price will be determined on the basis of one or more of the following methods, at the option of the Project Manager:

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1. On the basis of applicable unit and/or hourly prices stipulated in the Contract.

2. On the basis of an acceptable lump sum fee from the Contractor in response to a quotation request.

3. On the basis of actual necessary cost plus fifteen (15) percent to cover superintendence, general expense and profit.

Upon request from another City Department or working group, Contractor may accept additional Work outside the limits of this contract. This work will be performed to the contract specifications and billed at the same unit and hourly rates listed in this contract. Invoices for these services will be submitted to the requesting City Department or working group and will be paid separately from funds other than those designated for this contract.

Some examples of potential additional work include:

• Capital Improvement Projects (CIPs)

Trees that will be impacted by development and require pruning or removal will be paid at Programed

Pruning costs, unless access is restricted, significant travel is required between job sites and/or the job requires specialized equipment detailed in hourly rates. All work for CIPs will be authorized and coordinated by the City’s Landscape Architect or Urban Forester.

• Tree work or stump grinding for other Departments

Trees that belong to the City but are outside the Scope of Services for this contract. Examples might include City facility development or improvement projects, Utility improvement projects, and possible safety or security enhancement projects. All additional work for other departments will be coordinated by the Project Manager in conjunction with requesting Department.

D. Notice to Proceed

A Notice to Proceed will be issued to the Contractor upon receipt of a fully executed contract, insurance certificates, receipt of approval by other governmental agencies (if required), and any other documentation required by the City.

E. Coordination

1. Work Week

The Contractor shall provide no more than two (2) unit tree maintenance crews each day, unless requested and authorized by the Project Manager. The Contractor shall provide one (1) hourly crew, tree removal or stump removal crew on an as needed basis; scheduled by mutual agreement with the

City. At the discretion of the Project Manager staffing levels may be increased during emergency response.

The normal work week shall be Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding City holidays.

Crews shall be at the work site and ready to start work by 8:00 a.m. Where traffic, parking or other constraints exist, the work week may be modified. All work week modifications shall be approved by

Urban Forestry staff. Notify Urban Forestry staff by 7:30 a.m. daily, by email, with starting locations for each crew, crew size and contact phone number of each crew Foreman.

The Contractor shall not work on City holidays. City holidays are:

January 1

Third Monday in January

Third Monday in February

Last Monday in May

July 4

First Monday in September

Second Monday in October

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November 11

Thanksgiving Day

Day after Thanksgiving

December 25

In the event that any of the aforementioned holidays falls on a Sunday, the following Monday shall be considered a holiday. In the event that any of the aforementioned holidays falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday shall be considered a holiday.

2. Daily Contact

The Contractor’s Foreperson(s) shall report to the City’s designated Inspector each day via cell phone or at pre-designated field locations.

3. Cease of Operations

The Project Manager will determine when weather or other conditions prevent safe or efficient work operations. If work operations are canceled after the work day has started (8:00 a.m.) the Contractor will be credited with two (2) hours per crew or the actual hours worked, whichever is greater.

4. Inspection and Oversight

The contract will be managed by a member of the Urban Forestry staff, appointed by the Project

Manager, serving in the capacity of Contract Inspector. The Inspector provides the principal contract management and monitoring function and is the primary contact point for communication between the

City and the Contractor.

The Inspector will ensure compliance with the contract documents, observing work both during progress and upon completion. The Inspector will make routine independent inspections of all sites maintained by the Contractor, which may or may not be announced and do not require the presence of the

Contractor.

Inspections shall be both visual and operational. In addition, the Inspector may call for the Contractor to meet on the site for walkthrough inspections. The Inspector will schedule such meetings at the discretion of the City.

a. Inspection Reports

Contractor shall contact Urban Forestry staff daily to request inspection of all work performed. The

Inspector may prepare an “Urban Forestry Contract Inspection Report”, with a performance rating.

Ratings will reflect the work performance of the Contractor at the site locations under the terms and conditions of this contract. The inspection report may include comments with recommendations for improvements, but it does not take away the Contractor’s responsibility to maintain each site per contract specifications and to the satisfaction of the City. Problem areas are to be acted upon promptly and corrective action taken, as applicable.

i. Inspection reports will be prepared in two copies. The Inspector will establish a schedule for the

Contractor to pick up their copy from the Urban Forestry Office and sign the City’s copy, acknowledging receipt. Failure to retrieve the Contractor’s copy of an inspection report will not relieve the Contractor of their responsibility to correct all noted problem areas in a timely manner.

ii. Inspection report criteria will include, but not be limited to, the following:

1) Site cleanliness

2) Communication with Inspector

3) Adherence to pruning standards

4) Traffic control and safety

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5) Posting and notifications

iii. The inspector will give the contractor an opportunity to correct or replace non-conforming deliverables or services, if this can be accomplished within the required delivery schedule. Correction or replacement will be without additional cost to the City.

iv. The Inspector will not consider the services complete until all unacceptable performance has been corrected. The value of the contractor’s non-performance will be deducted from any money due the

Contractor. The Inspector will document in the contract file the basis for any amounts withheld.

b. Failure to Perform

If the Contractor fails to perform in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract the

Inspector will document the deficiencies on the “Urban Forestry Contract Inspection Report” form, which will serve as written notice to the Contractor.

i. A rating of “Needs Improvement” will require the Contractor to correct the stated deficiency(s) within seven calendar days, or as otherwise specified by the Inspector.

ii. A rating of “Unsatisfactory” will require the Contractor to correct the stated deficiency(s) within 48 hours, or as otherwise specified by Inspector. After two consecutive “unsatisfactory” ratings for any area within the contract, a “Failure to Comply” letter may be issued.

iii. A “Failure to Comply” rating represents a final notice. The City may choose to terminate the contract, or at the discretion of the Inspector, may allow the Contractor to correct deficiencies within 24 hours. Failure to correct deficiencies within 24 hours will result in contract termination. The termination may result in the Contractor being considered “Non- Responsible” during subsequent renewal evaluations, for a period of up to three years.

iv. If the Contractor receives more than two “Unsatisfactory” ratings within a 90-day time span, they may be issued a “Failure to Comply” letter. If two “Failure to Comply” letters are issued within a 180-day period, the City may terminate the Agreement. The termination may result in the Contractor being considered “Non-Responsible” during subsequent renewal evaluations, for a period of up to three years.

v. If the Contractor receives two “Failure to Comply” letters within a contract year, they may be considered “Non-Responsible” for subsequent renewal evaluations.

5. Digital Photos

Contractor may be asked to supply “Before and after” trimming pictures that are suitable for reproduction when requested by the City.

6. Allocation and Completion of Work Orders

City shall provide the contractor with an electronic database of trees to be pruned by Area. If requested, Contractor may receive access to Urban Forestry’s tree inventory software. This can be used to access the tree database and for digital reporting of completed work and other recorded field data. Contractor shall complete an Area entirely before beginning work in a new Area. Contractor shall systematically and thoroughly work continuously in the assigned Area until completion.

Each Contractor crew Foreman shall complete a City approved Daily Report using the tree database, and the Contractor shall provide a list of completed work locations for review and acceptance by the

City’s Inspector at a bi-monthly scheduled meeting at the City’s Municipal Service Center or in the field.

The tree database may have trees that are missing, dead, or need to be removed. Contractor shall record this on the tree inventory list.

Work orders shall be allocated by Urban Forestry based on actual service requirements and available funding. All work orders will be assigned on an as- needed basis as determined by Urban Forestry. It is possible that no services may be required by the City from a contractor during all or any portion of the

Request for Quotes (RFQ) #198038 16 contract term. All work orders assigned to the contractor shall be completed within thirty

(30) days except where otherwise noted. Trees less than 4 years old or 3” in or less in diameter will not be worked on by the Contractor unless specifically requested by the City.

7. Park, Facility and Open Space

The Contractor’s Supervisor shall coordinate with the City’s Open Space Manager and Irrigation

Coordinator prior to all park, open space and facility work to ensure events, games, parking, and facilities are undisturbed to the best extent possible and irrigation infrastructure is properly flagged by

City staff and avoided.

The Contractor shall provide plywood and supports as needed to provide adequate protection at designated sites. Vehicles or equipment shall be operated to avoid ruts, damage to turf, and damage or dirt on infrastructure.

8. State and County Roads and Transportation Corridors

When requested to perform tree maintenance work on County roads, the Contractor’s Supervisor will coordinate with County, State, and Transportation entities for all necessary permits and submittals in advance of tree maintenance work, at the Contractor’s expense.

F. Project Meetings

1. Post-Award Conference

A post-award conference will be scheduled as soon as practical after the award of the Contract. The

Contractor shall attend the conference along with the prospective Project Manager. The Contractor shall provide at least two (2) local telephone numbers that may be used to contact the Contractor or an authorized representative in the event of an emergency after normal business hours.

2. Bi-Monthly Project Meetings

The Contractor’s Area Manager and Supervisor shall attend bi-monthly project meetings and specially called meetings throughout progress of the Work. The bi-monthly project meetings will be held at the

Public Works Operations office, Building C of the Municipal Service Center, 3201 East Bayshore Road, Palo Alto or at field locations designated by the Project Manager.

G. Contractor Requirements:

1. Corporate Capability

Contractor’s qualifications applicable to this project, must include the following:

a. Affirmative statement of compliance with indemnity and insurance

b. State of California Contractor’s License number and expiration date, C-49 (Formerly C-61/D-49) and any other applicable licenses

c. DIR Registration number

2. Experience

Contractor shall have at least ten (10) years of current experience performing contract tree pruning and removal work in the state of California. Contractor’s local management staff shall be completely qualified to perform the work of this contract and have a minimum of five (5) years current experience performing this work in the state of California.

3. Capacity

Contractor shall provide sufficient labor and equipment resources to perform the work of this project in a safe and efficient manner. Contractor shall have a minimum crew capacity of three (3) crews with the ability to bring an additional five (5) crews and sufficient equipment for unforeseen issues (such as emergency response) within 24 hours of request, at the discretion of the City.

Contractor shall have sufficient labor and equipment resources as requested in this section to perform

Request for Quotes (RFQ) #198038 17 the work of this project.

4. Employee Training

Contractor shall provide proof of internal tree maintenance, safety, and arboricultural training programs information.

5. Local Office

Contractor’s local office shall be located within 100 miles and Contractor’s yard shall be within 40 miles of the City of Palo Alto limits.

6. Solicitation of Private Tree Work

Contractor and/or its employees shall not solicit and/or perform private tree work within the city limits of Palo Alto for the duration of this Contract. Violation of this provision may be cause for termination of this Contract.

H. Staffing Requirements

The Contractor is required at all times to provide sufficient workforce and supervisory personnel to perform the specified services and to meet the requirements of the City. When in times of high demand, the contractor shall make available to the City a minimum of three (3) crews.

1. Crew Size

The standard crew is three persons, one chipper truck, one chipper, one aerial lift and all necessary hand tools. The crew and equipment can be modified to complete any type of miscellaneous tasks including special projects or trimming specific trees requiring immediate attention prior to their scheduled trim.

2. Qualified Personnel

a. Supervision:

The Contractor shall provide qualified supervisory staff. One competent individual will be available at all times to supervise the work, and assigned to be the Project Superintendent, and must be on site for a regularly scheduled minimum of eight (8) hours per week, and 16 hours per week when three (3) or more Contractor crews are working in the City. This individual shall be a full-time employee, and be a current International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist. This individual shall be experienced in the type of work being performed and fully capable of managing, directing, and coordinating the work, reading and thoroughly understanding the contract, and receiving and carrying out directions form the

City. This individual must be able to speak and write English and receive and communicate to the crew and property owner’s instructions and information relevant to the work order.

One (1) Project Superintendent Arborist shall be provided for every twelve (12) contractor employees assigned to City work.

The Project Superintendent individual must be reachable via cell phone, email or fax during business hours (Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM) during the Contract Period.

The Contractor shall not change its designated Project Superintendent without written notification to the City seventy-two (72) hours in advance. The new Project Superintendent will be subject to the approval of the Project Manager. Breach of these provisions may constitute just cause for suspension of the Work until a qualified and acceptable superintendent is assigned to the Project.

b. Crew

Each tree maintenance crew shall include:

Lead climber who will serve as Crew Foreman with current certification as an ISA Certified Arborist, or Western Chapter International Society of Arboriculture Certified Tree Worker (CTW). The lead climber shall be fluent in English and capable of preparing clear and concise daily work summary reports on City furnished or other approved forms.

Request for Quotes (RFQ) #198038 18

A second climber, with a minimum of three (3) years current ornamental pruning experience.

A ground person with a minimum of one (1) year general ground work experience.

The individual assigned Crew Foreman shall remain with his/her crew at all times throughout the working day.

Each tree removal crew shall include:

Three employees with a minimum of three (3) current years removal experience

Each stump grinding crew shall include:

Two employees with a minimum of two (2) years stump grinding experience

Contractor staff assigned to work near Cal train tracks may require training and certification by Cal train, at Contractor’s expense.

Contractor shall have available all certifications, degrees, or any other documentation that provide evidence of experience and certifications of staff. List of staff qualifications include but are not limited to:

1. All ISA Certified Arborists employed by the firm.

2. All ISA TRAQ qualified tree risk assessors employed by the firm.

3. All ISA Certified Tree workers employed by the firm.

4. All ISA Utility Line Clearance Tree workers employed by the firm if any.

5. All Certified Utility Arborists employed by the firm if any.

All certifications and degrees shall be current at the time of Contract award and shall remain current and up to date throughout the life of the Contract.

The Contractor must have staff that includes Certified Crane Operators(s) as recognized by national

Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO).

All personnel are subject to the approval of the Project Manager. If the Project Manager finds the

Contractor’s employee to be unsatisfactory, the Contractor shall replace that employee immediately.

3. Communication Device Requirements

The Superintendent and Crew Foreman or equivalents must have a communication device, such as a smart phone, in the field at all times during normal working operations. Two modes of communication such as a smart phone and two-way communication device must also be on-hand during an emergency event. The City may request to utilize this technology for the transfer of electronic documents and data including, but not limited to, PDFs, shop papers, work requests. The city may also request that work records be entered directly into the tree inventory system by the contractor in the field using a mobile device.

If/when the City hosts their own enterprise tree inventory and workflow system the Contractor’s personnel will be required to accurately enter data, work records etc. directly into that system for the purposes of record keeping. The Contractor may be required to provide mobile devices at their expense to crews for this purpose so the record keeping is held to the most accurate standard.

4. Emergency Response

The Contractor shall be required to provide emergency on call response for damaged trees as a result of storms or other reasons. The Contractor shall provide the City with up to five (5) additional crews including one (1) Supervisor for emergency service after the normal work hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

when requested by the Project Manager. The Contractor’s Supervisor shall be responsible for coordinating call-out personnel with the Project Manager. Emergency calls may occur at any given time.

Request for Quotes (RFQ) #198038 19

The Contractor will be provided with locations and the work to be done at each location via telephone from a City authorized representative. Emergency work shall begin within two (2) hours of the initial telephone call.

Contractor shall be required to provide a twenty-four (24) hour emergency phone number of the names of at least six (6) contact individuals upon award of contract. Should the contact persons or their phone numbers change during the course of the contract, those changes shall be submitted to the City within two (2) working days.

Contractor shall be required to provide all necessary traffic control during the course of emergency work. Should the work involve high voltage power lines or any utility lines the Contractor shall be required to notify the Project Manager before such work…