village of oak park 2026-07-19-2027-parkway-tree-pruning-rfb.pdf

SECTION I

REQUEST FOR BIDS

INSTRUCTIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR:

Village of Oak Park 2027 Parkway Tree Pruning

Bid Number: 26-120 Issuance Date: 07/29/2026

The Village of Oak Park (VOP) will receive Bids from qualified contractors to perform parkway tree pruning during the 2027 calendar year pursuant to this Request for Bids. This Bid covers one (1) contract available with the VOP. Bidders are welcome to bid on any and all of the contracts available. Bids will be accepted at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302 Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday, 8:30 am to 12:00 p.m.

local time until 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. Bids will be reviewed and the results of the review will be presented to the VOP Board of Trustees.

A mandatory pre-bid meeting shall be held on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at the Public Works Center Conference Room (201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302). The Conference Room is on the second floor of the Public Works Center. Bids received from bidders who do not send a representative to the pre-bid meeting shall not be considered.

Specifications and bid forms may be obtained at http://www.oak-park.us/bid or at the Public Works Center at the address listed above or by calling 708-358-5700.

The Village Boards of Trustees reserve the right to accept or reject any and all bids or to waive technicalities, or to accept any item of any bid. Information is available from the Forestry Superintendent, Grant Jones at 708-358-5740 or gjones@oak-park.us.

Do not detach any portion of this document. Upon formal award to the successful Bidder, a written agreement will be executed for the Project in substantially the form attached.

Submission of Bids The Bid shall be submitted on the Bid form included herewith. The Bid shall be submitted in a sealed envelope marked “BID: 26-120 2027 Parkway Tree Pruning”, shall bear the return address of the bidder, and shall be addressed as follows:

TO: Grant Jones

Forestry Superintendent Department of Public Works 201 South Blvd.

Oak Park, IL 60302

SECTION II

BID INSTRUCTIONS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Preparation and Submission of Bid:

All Bids must be delivered to the Public Works Center by the specific time indicated on the cover page. Bids arriving after the specified time will not be accepted. Mailed bids that are received by the Village after the specified hour will not be accepted regardless of the post-marked time on the envelope. Bids must be signed by an officer of the company who is authorized to enter into agreements on behalf of the company. Bids shall be sealed in an envelope and marked as stated on the cover page.

Bid Bond The Bidder shall provide a Bid Bond in the amount of ten percent (10%) of the total bid price.

The attached form may be used or the bidder may provide cash or a certified check in the amount specified. Bid bond amounts shall be based on all proposed work where estimated amounts have been provided by VOP. Do not include unit price amounts where work is “On- Demand” or “As Required”. The Bid Bonds, cash or checks will be returned once the selected bidder has entered into an Agreement for this work and provided the Contract Bond in an amount of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) for each contract awarded.

Contract Term The initial contract term shall be from the date of award to December 31, 2027. Note: it is anticipated that work will not begin until January 2027. The Village of Oak Park has the right to renew the contract on an annual basis for two (2) optional one-year terms (January 1 to December 31). The Bidder shall begin performing the services within fourteen (14) days of a notice to proceed from the Director of Public Works or his designee.

Contract Renewal The Village will have the right to renew the contract for two (2) additional one-year terms with all terms and conditions, other than price, remaining the same. The Village will allow the Bidder to increase or decrease the contract price for each annual renewal.

Upon written request from the Bidder, on or before October 20 of each year of the Agreement, the cost of the services provided under the Agreement may be adjusted as follows:

The contractor shall submit a request for adjustment to the Village based upon the average of the published monthly Index (as defined below) for the period October through September for the previous year. The Index shall be the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Chicago Statistics, Revised Consumer Price Index for all Urban Wage Earners for Chicago- Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI (all items, 1982-84 = 100).

Notwithstanding anything contained in this Request for Bids to the contrary, an annual adjustment shall not be greater than five percent (5.0%) of the previous year's cost for services provided under this Agreement in any year.

Any applicable adjustment shall take effect on January 1st.

Notice to Proceed Work shall begin within fourteen (14) days from the Notice to Proceed from the Village’s Director of Public Works. All work shall be completed in accordance with the detailed specifications set forth herein, unless the Director of Public Works grants an extension.

Recertification If the Village renews the contract for an additional one-year term, the Bidder will provide the Village with a renewed certification in the form in Section V indicating that it continues to be eligible to contract with units of local government. If a contractor or subcontractor is not able to certify that it continues to meet all requirements, it shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances leading to the change in certification status.

Award of Agreement The Agreement will be awarded in whole or in part to the responsible Bidder or Bidders whose bids, conforming to the request for bids, will be most advantageous to the Village; price and other factors considered. If otherwise equivalent bids are received, as determined by the Village, the Village will give preference to contractors who are TCIA Accredited or meet the following requirements:

• Are actively enrolled in the TCIA Accreditation Program and on track to complete the process within a two-year period

• Have completed the TCIA mail-in audit and have met 50% of the standards required by TCIA for accreditation.

• By submitting a bid, Contractor authorizes the Village to obtain evidence of compliance from TCIA and authorizes TCIA to release such information to the Village. In the event that the Village is unable to obtain such information as it deems necessary to determine compliance, on or before bid opening date, above compliance shall be deemed unmet.

Costs of Preparation The Village will not be responsible for any expenses incurred in preparing and submitting a Bid or entering into the applicable Agreement.

Taxes not Applicable The Village of Oak Park as an Illinois municipality pays neither Illinois Sales Tax nor Federal Excise Tax (State Tax Exemption Identification Number VOP - E9998-1823-06). Contractors should exclude these taxes from their prices.

Withdrawal of Bids:

Any Contractor may withdraw its Bid at any time prior to the time specified in the advertisement as the closing time for the receipt of Bids, by signing a request therefore. No Contractor may withdraw or cancel its Bid for a period of sixty (60) calendar days after the advertised closing time for the receipt of Bids. The successful Contractor may not withdraw or cancel its Bid after having been notified that the Bid was accepted by the Village Board of Trustees.

Investigation of Contractors The Village will make such investigations as are necessary to determine the ability of the Contractor to fulfill Bid requirements. If requested, the Contractor should be prepared to present evidence to the Village of Oak Park of the ability and possession of necessary facilities and financial resources to comply with the terms of the attached specifications and Bids. In addition, the Contractor shall furnish the Village with any information the Village may request, and shall be prepared to show completed work of a similar nature to that included in its Bid.

The Village reserves the right to visit and inspect the premises and operation of any Contractor.

Rejection of Contractor The Village will reject any Bid from any person, firm or corporation that appears to be in default or arrears on any debt, agreement or the payment of any taxes. The Village will reject any Bid from a Contractor that failed to satisfactorily complete work for the Village under any previous agreement.

Conditions Contractors are advised to become familiar with all conditions, instructions and specifications governing the work. Contractors shall be presumed to have investigated the work site, conditions and scope of the work before submitting a Bid.

Compliance with Applicable Laws The Bidder will strictly comply with all ordinances of the Village of Oak Park and Village Code and laws of the State of Illinois.

Governing Law All agreements entered into by the Village of Oak Park are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois without regard to conflicts of law. Any action brought to enforce an agreement with the Village of Oak Park must be brought in the state and federal courts located in Cook County, Illinois.

Subletting of Agreement No agreement awarded by the Village of Oak Park shall be assigned or any part sub-agreement without the written consent of the Village of Oak Park or as noted in the Contractor’s Bid. In no case shall such consent relieve the Contractor from its obligations or change the terms of the Agreement.

Interpretation of Agreement Documents:

Any Contractor with a question about this Bid may request an interpretation thereof from the Village. If the Village changes the Bid, either by clarifying it or by changing the specifications, the Village will issue a written addendum, and will email a copy of the addendum to all prospective Contractors. The Village will not assume responsibility for receipt of such addendum. In all cases, it will be the Contractor’s responsibility to obtain all addenda issued.

Contractors will provide written acknowledgment of receipt of each addendum issued with the Bid submission.

Minority Business and Women Business Enterprise Requirements The Village of Oak Park, in an effort to reaffirm its policy of non-discrimination, encourages the efforts of Contractors and subcontractors to take affirmative action in providing for Equal Employment Opportunity without regard to race, religion, creed, color, sex, national origin, age, handicap unrelated to ability to perform the job or protected veteran’s status.

Licenses The Contractor shall be responsible for becoming a licensed Contractor in the Village.

Agreement The selected bidder shall enter into an Agreement with the Village to complete the Project in a form substantially similar to the Agreement attached hereto. The Agreement shall be executed by the Contractor and returned, together with the Contract Bond within ten (10) calendar days after the Agreement has been mailed to the Contractor. The Contractor shall execute three copies of the Agreement. One fully executed copy will be returned to the Contractor. See Section XIII for a sample copy of the agreement.

Contract Bond The successful bidder shall, within ten (10) calendar days after award of the bid, furnish a Contract Bond in the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) for each contract awarded. The bond shall insure faithful performance of the work, and the payment for materials, labor and of the subcontractors. The bond shall be with a surety or sureties with a rating of “A” or better by A.M. Best and Company and such sureties shall be approved by the Village. Bonds in the form of certified or cashier’s check shall be made payable to the Village of Oak Park, Illinois. The Contract Bond shall be furnished in the same number of copies as the number of copies of the Agreement to be executed. See section XII for a sample copy of the Contract Bond.

Fees and Cost In the event any action is brought to enforce any agreement entered into by the Village of Oak Park, or to collect any unpaid amount from the Village, each party bears the responsibility of paying its own attorneys’ fees and costs.

Dispute Resolution The Village of Oak Park does not agree to the mandatory arbitration of any dispute.

Village of Oak Park Logo or Likeness Use The official logo of the Village of Oak Park is not to be used in any form. Use of the Village logo is strictly prohibited by law and such use could subject the proposer to disqualification or termination of contract.

Living Wage/Minimum Wage See Section XIII – Agreement.

Hold Harmless See Section XIII - Agreement.

Insurance See Section XIII - Agreement.

Termination of Agreement See Section XIII - Agreement.

FOIA Requirements By submitting a bid or otherwise responding in any way to this request for bids, the bidder acknowledges the following:1. This public body is subject to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140/1, et seq. (“FOIA”), and any and all information submitted by the bidder to this public body is subject to disclosure to third parties in accordance with FOIA. 2. If the bidder intends for the public body to withhold the bidder’s trade secrets, commercial information, or financial information from disclosure to a third party in response to a FOIA request, the bidder must include with its bid submittal a written notification specifically identifying such information, along with a statement that disclosure of such information will cause competitive harm to the bidder, as provided by FOIA Section 7(1)(g), 5 ILCS 140/7(1)(g). Any content not so marked by the bidder at the time of bid submittal will be presumed to be open to public inspection. The bidder may be required to substantiate the basis for its claims at a later time. 3.

Notwithstanding timely notice received from a bidder in accordance with Section 7(1)(g), the public body reserves the right, in its sole discretion and subject only to applicable law, to withhold or release the subject information in response to a FOIA request.

SECTION III

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

Scope of Work The Village is seeking Bids from qualified arboriculture contractors for the pruning of Village-owned trees within the Village of Oak Park. Additional “Add On / On Demand” items are included with some contracts and are required to be bid on. Work will be assigned by the Village as necessary. Particular emphasis will be placed on high standards of quality and professionalism, including safety, timeliness, cleanliness, and thoroughness. All arboriculture contract work shall be done in accordance with the latest editions of the 1) ANSI Z133 standards for Arboriculture Operations, 2) ANSI A300 standards for Tree Care Operations, and

3) ISA Best Management Practices: Pruning.

Responsibility of Contractor The selected contractor shall furnish all labor, supervision, tools, equipment, materials and supplies, and other means necessary for performing and completing the work, including debris hauling, and shall obtain and pay for any required permits.

ISA Certified Arborist On Staff Bidders for the Village Parkway Tree Pruning contract are required to have an ISA Certified Arborist on staff at all times. Include documentation showing at least one current employee is a certified arborist with your company’s bid. Bids from contractors who do not have a Certified Arborist on staff will not be considered for the Village Parkway Tree Pruning contract.

At any time during the contract or subsequent contract renewal, you may be asked to show documentation that there is a Certified Arborist on staff. If there is not a Certified Arborist on staff at the time, it may be considered a breach of contract.

Extent of Services, Alterations, Omissions and Extra Work The Village reserves the right to award multiple contracts from this bid including multiple contracts for a single type of work or single season. The Village reserves the right to award the contract to the lowest qualified and responsible bidder.

If otherwise equivalent bids are received, as determined by the Village, the Village will give preference to contractors who are TCIA Accredited or meet the following requirements:

• Are actively enrolled in the TCIA Accreditation Program and on track to complete the process within a two-year period

• Have completed the TCIA mail-in audit and have met 50% of the standards required by TCIA for accreditation.

• By submitting a bid, Contractor authorizes the Village to obtain evidence of compliance from TCIA and authorizes TCIA to release such information to the Village. In the event that the Village is unable to obtain such information as it deems necessary to determine compliance, on or before bid opening date, above compliance shall be deemed unmet.

The Village reserves the right to increase or decrease the quantity of any item or portion of the work, or to omit portions of the work as may be deemed necessary.

Workers The bidders shall employ competent laborers and shall replace at the request of the Director of Public Works any incompetent, unfaithful, abusive or disorderly workers in their employ. Only workers expert in their respective branches of work shall be employed where special skill is required. Inappropriate behavior or examples of unproductive work effort will not be tolerated. The Village has the right to require a bidder’s employee to be immediately removed from the work crew if the above behavior is exhibited.

Time of Work Bidder shall only work on weekdays, (Monday through Friday), from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No work will be allowed on weekends or on legal holidays as recognized by the Village of Oak Park, except as authorized by the Director of Public Works.

Method of Payment The Village of Oak Park will pay monthly, all undisputed invoices within 30 days of approval as provided in the Local Government Prompt Payment Act, 50 ILCS505/4. The maximum interest rate for any payment not made within 30 days of approval is 1%.

Standard of Care The Contractor shall endeavor to perform the Services with the same skill and judgment which can be reasonably expected from similarly situated firms or entities.

The Contractor shall comply with all federal, state, and local statutes, regulations, rules, ordinances, judicial decisions, and administrative rulings applicable to its performance under this Agreement as applicable, including, but not limited to, Cook County’s minimum wage and sick leave ordinances, respectively Cook County Ordinance Number 16-5768 and Cook County Ordinance Number 16-4229, and the Village’s Living Wage Ordinance, Village of Oak Park Ordinance Number 16-093, codified as Section 2-6-20 of the Village Code, all as amended.

Current copies attached as exhibit A.

The Contractor shall ensure that the Services are provided, performed, and completed in accordance with all applicable statutes, ordinances, rules, and regulations, including, but not limited to, the Fair Labor Standards Act; any statutes regarding qualification to do business; any statutes prohibiting discrimination because of, or requiring affirmative action based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, order of protection status, marital status, physical or mental disability, military status, sexual orientation, or unfavorable discharge from military service or other prohibited classification, including, without limitation, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101 et seq., and the Illinois Human Rights Act, 775

ILCS 5/1-101 et seq. The Contractor shall also comply with all conditions of any federal, state, or local grant received by the Village or the Contractor with respect to this Agreement.

Certified Payroll Contractor shall be solely responsible to maintain accurate records reflecting its payroll for its employees who perform any of the Work for the Village pursuant to this Contract and shall submit certified payroll records to the Village's Director of Public Works at any time during the term of this Contract. Contractor shall provide said certified payroll records within seven (7) days upon the request of the Director of Public Works.

Change Orders Change Orders: Changes in the Work may be agreed to after execution of the Agreement, and without invalidating the Agreement, if the Change Order is in writing and signed. Any changes to the scope of work which result in an increase in the agreement price will be subject to an agreement addendum which must be signed by both parties. Any such Change Order will be prepared by the Village. The Contractor may only proceed with the Change upon receipt of the written Change Order signed by the Village.

Emergency Changes: Contractor may perform work not included in the Scope of Work if necessary to remedy a condition that poses an immediate threat to persons or property. Work of this nature shall be carried out only to the extent of bringing the condition under control.

The Village shall be notified immediately. A Change Order will then be negotiated and executed for the work performed, and for work remaining, if any.

Minor Changes (Field Orders): The Village may verbally authorize minor changes in the Scope of Work in order to prevent a delay in the progression of the Work. These field orders may not involve a change in the agreement price or be inconsistent with the Scope of Work.

Changes Due to Unknown Conditions: The Contractor is not responsible for Changes in the Work that are due to conditions that were not reasonably observable or conditions that have changed. In such cases, the Contractor shall notify the Village and a Change Order will be negotiated.

Any Change which results in a total agreement price in excess of $10,000 must be approved by the Village of Oak Park Board of Trustees.

Correction of Work Prior To Final Payment The Village has the right to stop work if the Contractor fails to carry out the work in a manner acceptable to the Village. If the Village deems the Contractor’s work unacceptable, at the Village’s election, the Contractor shall do one of the following:

1. Promptly repair or replace the defective work, without expense to the Village, including costs associated with repairing any damage to property caused by the replacement work; or;

2. If the Village deems it unacceptable to have the Contractor correct work which has been incorrectly done, a deduction from the agreement price shall be made based on the costs to the Village to have the work repaired. Such a deduction from the agreement price shall in no way affect the Village’s other remedies or relieve the Contractor from responsibility for defects and related damage occurring as a result of defective or unacceptable work.

Bidder’s Representative The bidder shall have at all times a competent foreman or superintendent on the job that shall have full authority to act for the bidder, and to receive and execute orders from the Director of Public Works or appointed representative. Any instructions given to such superintendent or person executing work for the bidder shall be binding on the bidder as though given to him personally. Bidder’s representative must be proficient in the use and interpretation of the English language.

Dispute Resolution All disputes, including collection disputes, shall be brought in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. This agreement shall be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois.

In any dispute resolution process, each party shall bear its own costs, including attorney’s fees.

Any purported agreement between the parties that states terms contrary to this paragraph M will be deemed per se invalid.

Reporting Requirements The following forms must be completed in their entirety, notarized and included as part of the Bid document. Failure to respond truthfully to any question on the list or failure to cooperate fully with further inquiry by the Village of Oak Park will result in disqualification of your Bid.

Detail Specifications: All Contracts

1. Location of Tree Maintenance Work The location of the work is known as: PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY within the Village of Oak Park, Illinois, on right-of-way or on property furnished by the owner. All tree work is to be done in accordance with the enclosed specifications.

2. Property Damage The Bidder shall take great care to avoid damaging adjacent landscaping (trees, shrubs, turf, etc.). Bidder shall be held responsible for all damage to property including, but not limited to, existing landscaping including turf, planters, bicycle racks, litter containers, light and traffic signal poles, parking meters, fire hydrants, curbs, vehicles, buildings and structures, sidewalks, etc. All damage will be the responsibility of the Bidder to repair to its original condition and to the satisfaction of the Village.

3. Idling of Equipment The Department of Public Works have a “No Idling” policy. A copy of the policy is available from the Department of Public Works if needed. The bidder is expected to adhere to this policy as they are an extension of the Public Works Department staff.

4. Electric Leaf Blower and Noise Restriction The contractor shall use battery-powered leaf blowers and comply with the Village’s leaf blower ordinance (Section 8-41-1). The contractor shall comply with the Village’s noise ordinance (Section 17-1-30-H) which states leaf blowers must not exceed 65 decibels per the manufacturer’s specifications. Contractor must meet all requirements outline within the Village Code. Copies of the code can be found on the Village Website or provided by the Department of Public Works.

5. Periodic Inspection Upon request the contractor must provide the location of crews working within the Village. The Director of Public Works or his representative will periodically inspect the work and will always be available should any problems arise. The Director of Public Works can be contacted at 708-358-5700.

6. Obstruction of Streets and Rights-of-Way The bidder shall arrange to keep sidewalks and streets open for traffic when possible, and to block portions of the streets only when deemed necessary to protect private property.

The bidder shall remove all surplus materials and debris from the streets as the work progresses so that the public may have the use of the streets a maximum amount of time. Bidder is to erect appropriate warning signs and furnish adequate barricades that identify the work zone for the motoring public and pedestrians.

If street closure is necessary to facility any work the contractor must call Public Works at 708-358-5700 before closure and after opening the street so Village staff can alert police, fire, and regional transit of the closure.

7. Accident Prevention The bidder shall exercise every precaution at all times for the protection of the persons and properties. The safety provisions of all applicable laws and ordinances shall be strictly observed. Any practice obviously hazardous in the opinion of the Director of Public Works or authorized representative shall be immediately discontinued by the bidder upon their receipt of instructions from the Director of Public Works, or authorized representative, to discontinue such practice.

The bidder shall abide by all applicable laws, standards, and regulations that apply to the completion of the work, including EPA and OSHA safety standards and regulations. All arboriculture contract work shall be done in accordance with the latest addition of the ANSI Z133 standards for Arboriculture Operations.

8. Motorized Equipment Under no circumstances shall any motorized equipment be permitted to be driven on the private property or driveways without prior authorization from the resident and the Director of Public Works while performing work under the provisions of this contract. Plywood or other support or protection must be placed on the parkway and/or private property prior to operating or parking vehicles or equipment on or over such property or other support or protection must be placed on the private property prior to operating or parking vehicles or equipment on or over private property.

9. Parking No off-street parking for equipment shall be provided for by the Village on any of the Village’s public properties except as may be designated by the Director of Public Works.

10. Traffic Control Plan Bidder’s item of work shall include furnishing, installing, maintaining, replacing, relocating and removing all traffic control devices used for the purpose of regulating, warning or directing traffic during tree maintenance operations.

Traffic control shall be in accordance with the applicable sections of the Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, the applicable guidelines contained in the Illinois Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, these Special Provisions, and any special details and Highway Standards contained herein and in the plans.

The governing factor in the execution and staging of work for their contract is to provide the motoring public with the safest possible travel conditions near the work zone. The bidder shall arrange their operations to keep the closing of any traffic lane(s) of the roadway to a minimum.

11. Pedestrian Traffic Control While tree maintenance work is taking place, the bidder shall block off the sidewalk to pedestrian traffic immediately adjacent to the work site if there is a reasonable concern of harm to pedestrians.

Detail Specifications: Village Parkway Tree Pruning Contract The Village is seeking bids from qualified arboriculture contractors for the pruning of parkway trees and other Village-owned trees within the Village of Oak Park.

1. Location of Tree Pruning Work The location of the work is known as: PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY within the Village of Oak Park, Illinois, on right-of-way or on property furnished by the owner. All trees over 1 inch in diameter on inventory sheets supplied to the Contractor in the general area designated on the bid sheet shall be pruned. All tree pruning work is to be done in accordance with the enclosed pruning specifications.

The overall project will be broken up into smaller subsections. Upon completion of a subsection, the contractor will be provided the tree list for the next subsection. This is to allow for better tracking and ensure completion of the project.

It will be the bidder’s responsibility to notify and make arrangements with the utility company for the removal of branches extending through power and/or telephone lines so pruning operations will not be delayed.

2. Extent of Services The bidder shall prune all trees designated on pruning sheets and commence work no later than January 4, 2027 (weather dependent). Contractor must be onsite each week and prune a minimum of 300 trees each week for the length of the contract. All work shall be completed by April 16, 2027, unless the Village’s Director of Public Works grants an extension. Diameter inch estimates per size class are provided on the bid sheet.

3. Project Supervision The bidder shall designate a project supervisor who will be the primary contact for the contract. This person must be onsite at all times and meet daily with Village representatives and oversee the operations of the crew. This person cannot be a tree worker and must be an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist.

4. Inspection and Project Meetings The bidder’s project supervisor shall notify the office of the Director of Public Works by email before 7:30 a.m. each day and indicate the locations where crews will be working in Oak Park that day. The Director of Public Works must also be notified on any work day that crews will not be working in Oak Park prior to completion of the project. The reason crews are not working on the Contract that day must be given.

The Director of Public Works or his designee will inspect the work daily and will always be available should any problems arise. The project supervisor should expect to meet daily with the Director of Public Works or his designee to discuss the past work completed and upcoming issues.

The Director of Public Works may appoint a consultant to oversee the daily work and progress of this contract. In those cases, all issues related to the contract shall be run through the consultant.

5. Resident Vehicle Parking Issues

It shall be the bidder’s responsibility to ensure the proposed work area each day is clear of vehicles. The Village will provide a limited number of “No Parking” signs for the contract, but it will be the responsibility of the bidder to move the signs each day for the next day’s work. The bidder will not be permitted to post more blocks than can be accomplished in any one day. Special attention should be paid to areas around schools and multi-unit dwellings to minimize impact to the residents. While the Village has an overnight parking ban, that cannot be relied on to provide clear streets. The Village will not assist the bidder with contacting residents or vehicle relocation if they have not properly posted parking restrictions.

6. Method of Measuring Trees to be pruned shall be measured per inch of diameter. The diameter shall be measured at a point four feet (4’) six inches (6”) above the highest ground level at the tree and will be determined by dividing the measured circumference at that point by 3.1416.

7. Pruning Specifications Objectives: 1) Prune trees to mitigate risk and 2) provide clearance from buildings, allow traffic and pedestrians to pass by the tree unimpeded, and maintain clear lines of site at intersections and near signs. 3) Additionally, prune trees 10” in diameter or less to develop good structure.

i. Trees to be pruned in accordance with the latest revisions of both the 1)

ANSI A300 Pruning Standards and 2) ISA’s Best Management Practices:

Pruning. All terms used below are referenced in these documents.

ii. Types of Pruning Cuts

a. Reduction cuts should only be made to a live lateral branch or codominant stem when it can be expected to sustain the remaining branch or stem. The remaining lateral branch should typically be at least one-third the diameter of the stem or branch being removed. The reduction cut should be made at a slight angle to the remaining branch or codominant stem, without damaging the branch bark ridge and without leaving a stub.

b. Branch removal cuts shall be made without cutting into the branch bark ridge or branch collar, or leaving a stub. When a branch collar is not apparent, the branch removal cut shall be made without cutting into the branch bark ridge or, parent stem, and shall not leave a stub (Figure 1).

c. Pre-cut all limbs being removed using a jump cut or the three cut rule whenever there is a possibility of stripping the bark.

d. Flush cuts are not permitted.

e. Lions’-tailing and topping are not permitted.

f. Chainsaw rash is not permitted

g. Hand-held power pruners shall not be used.

h. Pruning cuts that are less than 2 inches in diameter shall be made with a handsaw.

iii. Timing

a. No oaks or American elms will be pruned between April 1 and

October 15. These dates are subject to change by the Forestry Superintendent based on current weather conditions.

b. Trees 10 inches in diameter and smaller should not be pruned after bud break until approximately July 1 to allow trees to recover from leaf expansion.

iv. Pruning Requirements

a. Prune all trees using a natural system to maintain the natural form and shape of the tree so far as is possible. Appropriate

Figure 1. Left: Jump cut or three cut technique to properly remove a limb beyond the branch collar without leaving a stub. Right: Making a proper branch removal cut when no visible branch collar is present. Source: A300 Tree Care Standard for trees, shrubs, palms, and other wood landscape plants (2023).

crown reduction methods are preferred where parkway width is sufficient to gain specified clearances, particularly when pruning Tilia species and trees in the 6”-16” size class.

b. Remove all dead, dying, diseased, interfering, and weak branches and stubs greater than two inches in diameter from all trees.

Remove all sucker growth on the main trunk(s) to the first main crotch.

c. To avoid misunderstanding, the terms in part “b” above will be used as defined below:

1. “Sucker Growth” - The bushy and undesirable growth of small shoots on the trunk of a tree or in close proximity to the trunk.

2. “Interfering Branches” - Branches which are growing in contact with or within eight (8) feet of signage, manmade structures or overhanging a structure.

d. Pruning cuts greater than 4” in diameter shall not be made into live growth without first contacting the Director of Public Works or his designee.

e. Reduction cuts should be made to a lateral branch that is at least one-third the diameter of the parent stem or branch.

f. Only remove the amount of live growth absolutely necessary to meet the objectives. At most, no more than approximately one-fourth of foliage of the tree shall be removed. Removing less live growth is preferred if objectives are met or if the tree appears stressed.

g. Remove one of two or more crossed and/or rubbing branches greater than 1 inch in diameter from all trees where practical.

h. All cuts to be made sufficiently close to parent limb, without cutting into the branch collar or leaving a protruding stub, so that closure can readily start under normal conditions. (see ii.b above)

i. Rig, or lower in a controlling manner lower, down all branches where damage could be incurred by gouging of a sodded area and/or damage to public walks. Use caution where there is the possibility of damaging adjacent privately-owned shrubs, trees, flowers, or surrounding property.

j. No person working in trees shall use shoes with spikes or any other footwear, which will, in the Village’s opinion, injure the trees while work is being performed. At no time shall any person working in trees for pruning purposes wear spurs or climbing irons.

k. It will be the Contractor’s responsibility to notify and coordinate with the utility company for the removal of branches extending through power and/or telephone lines, so that minimum approach distances are not violated and the pruning operations will not be delayed.

v. Clearance

a. Lower branches must be raised to a height of allowing a minimum of eight (8) feet of pedestrian access on the sidewalk at the end of a four-year period either by making reduction or removal cuts.

b. Raise all lower branches and hanging branches to a minimum height of sixteen (16) feet over the street where practical and if possible on trees over 16” in diameter.

c. Do not unnecessarily raise trees on the sidewalk side to match street clearances.

d. Upon completion of pruning, there shall be a minimum of 10 feet clearance from house and buildings (including roofs). This is not roof-to-sky clearance. Situations where this minimum cannot be met without undue harm to the tree need to be approved by the Director of Public Works or his designee.

e. Clear all streetlight and traffic control devices including non-illuminated signage to allow adequate lighting and sign visibility for the length of the prune cycle. Clear small parkway trees to allow natural growth habit without severely altering the form of the larger tree.

vi. Risk Reporting

a) Report any structural weakness, decayed trunk or branches, split crotch or branches, or girdling roots within 24 hours of locating to the Director of Public Works or his designee.

vii. The following only applies to trees that are 1-10” in diameter.

a) Objective: To achieve a strong central leader along with a strong scaffold branch structure.

b) Remove or subordinate super-dominant branches (50% or more of the diameter of the parent stem) with reduction cuts.

c) Prune for central leader by removing or subordinating co-dominant stems using removal or reduction cuts.

d) Prune to remove or subordinate v-crotches with reduction cuts to avoid these attachments from developing included bark in the future.

e) Identify lowest permanent scaffold branch and prune to expose it to full sun and to eliminate competition. To avoid removing excessive foliage, reduction cuts may be needed to subordinate temporary branches to slow their growth rate.

f) Potential scaffold branches should be:

a. Vertically spaced 18-24” apart. Scaffold branches to remain on mature tree should be spaced at 3 feet if growing above one another.

b. Only one scaffold branch should remain per node (point of attachment).

c. Scaffold branches should alternate around the trunk of the tree and not only be located directly above each other.

d. Scaffold branches should be no more than ½ the diameter of the trunk immediately above the branch.

e. Retain lateral branches along limbs, but each should be less than ½ the diameter of the limb at attachment. At least ½ of the foliage should be on branches (temporary and permanent) arising in the lower 2/3 of the tree.

Similarly, branches should have like distribution of foliage along their length (lion’s-tailing will not be permitted).

g) Subordinate or remove branches that interfere with pedestrian or vehicular traffic.

h) Remove and dead or broken branches from the upper canopy and water sprouts or suckers from the roots and trunk.

i) Do not:

a. remove more than 1/4 of the leaf area of the tree or

b. create a live crown ratio of less than 2/3 of the tree (Figure

2). If more pruning is necessary, contact the Director of Public Works or his designee prior to any additional work.

j) If the above pruning will not be possible for a given tree contact the Director of Public Works or his designee.

8. Cleanup

Immediately after pruning of a tree has been completed, the area beneath the tree shall be cleared and all debris shall be removed from the area. All streets, driveways, and sidewalks shall be cleared. Care shall also be taken not to damage other trees, shrubs, or lawns during tree pruning operations.

9. Removal of Debris All debris from tree pruning operations shall be removed from the site and from the Village of Oak Park the same business day debris has been created, unless authorized by Director of Public Works or his designee. No onsite or Village owned areas will be designated as debris storage areas. Payment for removal and disposal of debris is to be included in the unit price.

Under no circumstances shall debris be left on the parkway or street over weekends or holidays. In addition, keeping debris off the street and parkway areas and out of the gutters prevents the debris from entering and plugging the sewer system. Environmentally accepted practices of debris disposal are also an important part of this work.

10. Arborist Certification There shall be at least one “Certified Arborist” as recognized by the International Society of Arboriculture on the job site at all times. If the project supervisor is not onsite at all times another staff member must be a “Certified Arborist.” They

Figure 2. Acceptable and unacceptable live crown ratios for younger parkway trees (≤10” DBH) at the completion of structure pruning.

must have the authority to direct the work onsite. They must be able to speak articulately to residents and Village staff about the work occurring onsite. This person cannot be functioning as a supervisor and tree worker at the same time (per item 3 – Project Supervision above).

11. Reporting and Punch Lists The bidder is responsible for keeping the Village updated on its work on a weekly basis. The Village requires that the bidder provide a proposed and actual work schedule for each week of the contract. These records must be turned into the Director of Public Works office, emailed, or faxed each Monday. The report will include the proposed work to be completed in the village for the week and an actual work completed report, including the specific days individual trees were pruned for the previous week.

The Director of Public Works or his designee will review the completed work and provide a punch list for trees and locations that have not met the specifications of the contract. The bidder will not be paid for an invoice including those locations until the associated punch list items have been addressed and confirmed complete.

12. “On Call” Emergency Work The bidder is required to provide On Call Emergency work and equipment as necessary. Failure to respond or provide the requested equipment and services may be considered a breach of contract.

a. Contact The bidder is required to provide a twenty-four (24) hour contact number for the Village to request emergency services.

b. Response Time In case of emergency, the bidder is required to provide the requested equipment and staff to the Village within two (2) hours of a call out.

c. Contractor Release The bidder shall not pull work crews from the Village without the approval of the Director of Public Works. Early release of crews may be considered a breach of contract.

SECTION IV

BID FORM (Pricing)

The undersigned bidder agrees to all terms and conditions of the preceding specifications for Village Oak Park 2027 Parkway Tree Pruning and will furnish all the insurance documents and security deposits as stipulated. The unit prices listed below should be for 2027 only. The contract would include quantities estimated below in 2028 and 2029. Bid bond amount should be 10% of the sum of “Total Cost for 2027” amount for the contract being bid on.

Item 1: Village Parkway Tree Pruning

The pruning area for 2027 includes all Village owned parkway trees north of the railroad tracks to Chicago Ave.

Parkway Tree Pruning

Size Unit Est. 2027 Class D.B.H. Price($) Quantity $ Total Cost

1 – 4 inch diameter $ X 408 $ __

5 - 6 inch diameter $______ X 147 $__ __

7 – 12 inch diameter $______ X 382 $__ __

13 - 20 inch diameter $______ X 556 $__ __

21 - 30 inch diameter $______ X 527 $__ __ over 31 inch diameter $______ X 144 $__ __

Total Cost for 2027 $__ __

“On Call” bid price for EMERGENCY CALL-OUT RATES (Do not include in Bid Bond)

Per hour – 2 men, Chipper truck w/chipper $__ __

Per hour – 1 man, Aerial Lift truck $__ __

Per hour - 1 man, Log Loader $__ __

Per hour - 1 man, Semi tractor-trailer $__ __

Per hour – 1 man, Crane $__ __

Per hour - Laborer $__ __

BID FORM CONTINUED – PROPOSAL SIGNATURE SHEET

Proposal Signature:

State of ) County of )

(Type Name of Individual Signing) being first duly sworn on oath deposes and says that the bidder on the above Bid is organized as indicated below and that all statements herein made on behalf of such bidder and that their deponent is authorized to make them, and also deposes and says that deponent has examined and carefully prepared their Bid from the Agreement Specifications and has checked the same in detail before submitting this Bid; that the statements contained herein are true and correct.

Signature of bidder authorizes the Village of Oak Park to verify references of business and credit at its option.

Signature of bidder shall also be acknowledged before a Notary Public or other person authorized by law to execute such acknowledgments.

Dated: /____/2026

Organization Name (Seal - If Corporation) By:

Authorized Signature Address

Telephone

Subscribed and sworn to before me this day of , 2026.

______________________________ in the State of _____________________. My Commission Notary Public

Expires on ____/____/_______

BID FORM CONTINUED

Complete Applicable Paragraph Below

(a) Corporation The bidder is a corporation, which operates under the legal name of

______________________________and is organized and existing under the laws of the

State of _______________. The full names of its Officers are:

President

Secretary

Treasurer

The corporation does have a corporate seal. (In the event that this Bid is executed by a person other than the President, attach hereto a certified copy of that section of Corporate By-Laws or other authorization by the Corporation that permits the person to execute the offer for the corporation.)

(b) Partnership Names, Signatures, and Addresses of all Partners

The partnership does business under the legal name of ____________________, which name is registered with the office of __________ in the county of

(c) Sole Proprietor The bidder is a Sole Proprietor whose full name is . If the bidder is operating under a trade name, said trade name is , which name is registered with the office of in the county of .

Signed:

Sole Proprietor

In compliance with the above, the undersigned offers and agrees, if his/her Bid is accepted within ninety (90) calendar days from date of opening, to furnish any or all of the items upon which prices are quoted, at the price set opposite each item, delivered at the designated point within the time specified above.

MUNICIPAL QUALIFICATION REFERENCE SHEET

Bidders shall furnish a minimum of four (4) references from projects similar in scope within the last two (2) years.

MUNICIPALITY

ADDRESS

CONTACT

PHONE

WORK

PERFORMED

SECTION V

BIDDER CERTIFICATION

______ , as part of its Bid on an agreement for 2027 Parkway Tree Pruning for the Village of Oak Park, hereby certifies that said bidder selected is not barred from proposing on the aforementioned agreement as a result of a violation to either Section 33E-3 or 33E-4 of Article 33E of Chapter 38 of the Illinois Revised Statutes or Section 2-6-12 of the Oak Park Village Code relating to "Proposing Requirement.

(Authorized Agent of bidder selected)

Subscribed and sworn to before me this day of , 2026.

Notary Public’s Signature - Notary Public Seal -

SECTION VI

TAX COMPLIANCE AFFIDAVIT

, being first duly sworn, deposes and says:

that he/she is of (partner, officer, owner, etc.)

(bidder selected)

The individual or entity making the foregoing Bid or proposal certifies that he/she is not barred from entering into an agreement with the Village of Oak Park because of any delinquency in the payment of any tax administered by the Department of Revenue unless the individual or entity is contesting, in accordance with the procedures established by the appropriate revenue act, liability for the tax or the amount of the tax.