Invitation for Bids: #Y26-154 Title: Sodding, Seeding, and Mulching

Y26-1545-1047 SCOPE OF SERVICES Comment by Hernandez Fernandez, Alina: I’ve added section to your scope, please double check formatting before publishing. Comment by Hernandez Fernandez, Alina: Tiff, please copy this scope into the new IFB Spec/Scope format we saved to our templates folder. Comment by Tiffany Fulse: Updated

A. BACKGROUND

The Contractor shall provide commercial or government level services for the installations of sod, seeding, and mulching, and hydro-seeding and hydro-seeding with Bonded Fiber Matrix (BMF) to various County locations.

B. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide all labor, supervision, quality control, labor, equipment, tools, mobilization/demobilization, transportation, maintenance of traffic, sod, seed, mulch, water, site preparation, grading, erosion services, and any other incidentals related to completing the work specified herein. Work sites may include, but not limited to, slopes of retention ponds, primary canals, small ditch/canals, etc. and other areas throughout Orange County. Areas may have limited access, and sod may have to be carried in by hand, wheel barrel or other methods deemed by the vendor to place the sod.

C. CONTRACT - COUNTY POINT OF CONTACT

All work under this contract shall be performed under the supervision of the Manager of the Orange County Stormwater Management Division at 4200 South John Young Parkway, Orlando, Florida, 32839-9205, (407) 836-7919, or designee as listed on the delivery order.

For contract or procedural changes, the Contractor shall contact the assigned Stormwater Management Division, Contract Administrator.

D. CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall have the following certifications and qualifications:

3. All work to be performed under this contract shall be in accordance with all applicable Federal, State, County, and local rules, laws, ordinances and codes, including but not limited to Florida Department of Transportation (F.D.O.T.) Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, Orange County Road Construction and Specifications, and Orange County Code Chapter 15 Article XVII, latest edition.

4. Accident Prevention Manual. The Contractor shall have the most current edition of the Accident Prevention Manual pertaining to employee safety and applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration (O.S.H.A.) and Orange County Standards by contacting the F.D.O.T. Maps and Publications Department in Tallahassee, O.S.H.A. Regional Office in Atlanta, Ga. and Orange County Public Works in Orlando, respectively.

E. POST AWARD REQUIREMENTS – MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Contractor shall submit a Management Plan within ten (10) business days of Notice of Contract Award. At a minimum, the Management Plan shall include details on:

1. Personnel Requirements

a. The Contractor shall submit a complete list of workers who will be dedicated to work under the contract. This list shall include project management, supervisory personnel, and general list of workers. Subcontractors (if any) shall also be identified. Emergency contacts shall be highlighted.

b. The Contractor shall assign a lead point of contact or supervisor with whom the County may consult regarding contract performance, project status updates, and other contractual matters throughout the entire contract term. The contact information provided for this person shall include a valid e-mail address and phone number.

c. The Contractor shall, within twenty-four (24) hours, notify the Contract Administrator if there is a change in any points of contact and/or contact information and provide the updated information at the time of notification. All points of contact shall have the capabilityability to receive communication via telephone and e-mail.

d. The Contractor shall provide a twenty-four (24) hour point of contact with a staffed telephone number that the County may contact for an emergency service requests during standard and non-standard hours.

e. The Contractor shall provide sufficient workforce and supervisory personnel to perform the specified services to meet the requirements specified herein and provide backup as needed during all required work hours and at multiple concurrent locations.

f. Effective communication on projects is required to perform this Scope of Services. Therefore, the Contractor shall ensure that all points of contact read, write, and fluently speak English.

g. All conversations with County staff shall be documented via email, including but not limited to weather/unusual conditions, delays, contractual issues, instructions given by County staff, etc.

2. Equipment Requirements The Contractor shall submit a list of commercial commercial-grade equipment with Vehicle Identification Number (“VIN”) numbers dedicated for this contract or show proof and ability to acquire the equipment, if the equipment is to be purchased or leased, an agreement with a dealer or a lease company stating the availability of this equipment. This equipment must be available for inspection at the request of the Stormwater Management Division. Vehicles used during fertilization application must display a Limited Fertilizer decal showing proof that the applicator has been trained, in accordance with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) regulations and Orange County Code Chapter 15 Article XVII. Comment by Hernandez Fernandez, Alina: Spell out any acronyms first time used or only time used. Comment by Tiffany Fulse: Updated

a. Hydro seeding equipment; photos of equipment with descriptive summary of how the equipment is used to apply hydro seeding. The Contractor shall supply certification that manufacturer of proposed hydro seeding products approves equipment to be used.

Bonded Fiber Matrix (BFM); photos of equipment with descriptive summary of how the equipment is used to apply Bonded Fiber Matrix (BFM) with hydro seeding. The Contractor shall supply certification that manufacturer of proposed Bonded Fiber Matrix (BFM) with hydro seeding product approves equipment to be used.

3. Contingency Plan for Personnel and Equipment Loss. If sufficient resources are not available, the Contractor shall detail their ability to obtain those additional resources to be able to provide services as required.

F. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

1. Hours of Performance:

a. Standard Hours. All work performed shall take place between the hours of 7:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday, unless authorized by the County’s Representative.

b. Non-Standard Hours. Monday through Friday, 5:01 P.M. to 6:50 A.M., weekends, and Orange County holidays, unless authorized by the by the County’s Representative.

If the Contractor desires to work on Saturdays, Sundays, or official County holidays (New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) he/she must obtain pre-approval from the Manager, Stormwater Management Division. The Contractor must shall provide his/herthe request to work the above days twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the holiday start time.

c. Emergency Projects. The Contractor shall provide emergency services as requested twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week to include all holidays. The Contractor shall be required to arrive on the site of the emergency within two (2) hours after notification (unless otherwise specified) by the County.

Verbal authorization to commence work for emergency projects will be provided in the field by Orange County staff and followed up in writing no later than the next business day. A delivery order will be processed by the next business day once the Contractor provides the estimated quantities for the emergency work.

d. Multiple Concurrent Projects. The ability to manage concurrent projects is a mandatory requirement for contract performance. The Contractor shall maintain sufficient resources to perform multiple projects simultaneously throughout the duration of the contract. Each Delivery Order issued by the County shall be considered an individual project and may be assigned at any time.

The Contractor shall not suspend work on one project to begin another unless the previously assigned work has been completed in accordance with contract requirements or unless otherwise directed by the County’s Representative.

All work will be authorized through Delivery Orders issued on an as-needed basis by the County’s Representative. In the event thatIf multiple projects are assigned concurrently, the Contractor must shall notify the County’s Representative in writing within two (2) to three (3) business days of the request if the volume of work exceeds the Contractor’s available resources or operational capacity.

Failure to provide timely notice of such limitations and/or failure to meet established completion schedules may result in the issuance of non-performance notices and may require these be routed to the Procurement Division for further processing.

e. Project Communication. The Contractor shall notify all residents within the work area as to when the work will take place and explain the level of inconvenience that will be involved. This notification shall take place five (5) workdays prior to commencement of any work in that area. The notification shall be by an Orange County approved door hanger, approved by the Orange County Representative prior to it being placed on each house and any vehicles parked on the roadways. Notification to residents must include Orange County’s Government Information Number (311) and shall take place five (5) workdays prior to commencement of work in that area. Copy of notification per project shall be faxed to the County’s Project Manager or designee. Failure to provide adequate notification may lead to non-performance notices and up to contract termination. Comment by Hernandez Fernandez, Alina: Who approves? Is there a specific way this request needs to be submitted? A specific person? Comment by Church, Michael: Orange County Representative. We can usually provide a template, some vendors already have them and they just modify. Comment by Hernandez Fernandez, Alina: Revised language.

f. Congested Traffic or Unusual Conditions. The Contractor may be required to remove his/her operation from the right-of-way and County property at the discretion of the County’s Representative.

Should the right-of-way be requested to be used for staging or storage area, an agreement must be submitted in writing to the County for approval prior to starting operations, and must include a plan for maintenance of traffic, pedestrian safety, protection to drainage structures and swales to prevent runoff obstructions, and restoration of the right-of-way to its original or better condition upon project completion. No staging of equipment or material shall be allowed near roadway intersections to avoid sight-distance obstructions.

If the Contractor is required to remove his/her operation due to congested traffic, inclement weather (heavy rain, lighting, hail, tropical storm, hurricane, etc.) or other unusual conditions before 12:00 P.M. (noon), the County will consider allowing an additional one (1) day (Per-event/daily request) be added to the performance period, otherwise no adjustment will be made to the performance period. The County’s Representative will determine and authorize such award after the Contractor makes a written application for this. The County will verify alleged conditions in the area prior to authorization. Once approved, the County will modify the completion date for the project accordingly and will notify the Contractor.

g. Request for Inclement Weather. The Contractor may request a rainy day due to inclement weather. The request shall be in writing via email or by telephone, followed by an email before noon on the day requested. It will be at the discretion of the County’s Representative whether this request will be granted or not.

If the Contractor is required to remove his/her operation as a result of inclement weather after 12:00 P.M (noon) for an excessive number of days, the Contractor shall document in writing via email to the County’s Representative any inclement weather after 12:00 PM (noon) affecting their maintenance operations. The Contractor shall also include pictures and other pertinent documentation for review and consideration. The County will consider allowing additional time to the performance period based on Contractor’s written notifications and supporting documentation submitted. The County will notify the Contractor of the final decision and will modify the completion date, accordingly.

G. SPECIAL CONDITIONS

1. The Contractor shall coordinate all inspections with the County’s Representative. The Contractor shall verify that all work scheduled to be inspected is complete. The Contractor shall be responsible for the solution of any problems or discrepancies that may arise during the inspection process.

2. The Contractor shall institute a quality control plan for this contract, which shall be made available to the County for approval. The Contractor shall be responsible for and shall verify all quality control actions to the County’s Representative as directed.

3. The Contractor shall comply with Maintenance of Traffic (M.O.T.) which shall conform to F.D.O.T.’s most current editions of the “Roadway and Traffic Design Standards” for Design, Construction, and Maintenance Systems and the Federal Highway Administration (F.H.W.A.) “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (M.U.T.C.D.) for Streets and Highways”. These documents can be ordered from F.D.O.T., Maps, and Publications Department, 605 Suwannee Street, Tallahassee, Florida, 32399-0450, Phone (904) 488-9220. Proposed traffic control plan will be submitted to the County’s Representative for approval, at least two (2) working days prior to start of work. If the Contractor does not comply with F.H.W.A.’S M.U.T.C.D. (i.e. signs, qualified flaggers and/or barricades) the County reserves the right to direct the Contractor to cease operations until deficiencies are corrected. In addition, no road closures will be allowed except in case of emergencies.

4. The Contractor shall provide minimum inconvenience to the public and traffic during performance of work on public roads and streets.

5. The Contractor shall comply with the most current edition of the Accident Prevention Manual pertaining to employee safety and applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration (O.S.H.A.) and Orange County Standards. The Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining copies of these publications by contacting the F.D.O.T. Maps and Publications Department in Tallahassee, O.S.H.A. Regional Office in Atlanta, Ga. and Orange County Public Works in Orlando, respectively.

6. The Contractor shall be readily available to the County’s Representative and the County’s Representative will be entitled at all times to be advised, at his/her request, as to the status and details of the work being completed by the Contractor in a format he/she requires. The Contractor shall maintain coordination with the County’s Representative at all times. Either party may request and be granted a conference upon request within forty-eight (48) hours of notice. a timely manner. The Contractor will inform the County's Representative daily as to the locations to be worked and the areas completed the previous day. In addition, written notification with details on activities to be performed during the day (e.g., installing sod, etc.) and listing all issues that may have occurred before and after the inspectors were on site the previous day. This update can be submitted via e-mail and this notification is in addition to the daily report and must be received no later than 7:30 AM (daily). Comment by Hernandez Fernandez, Alina: We should specify a timeline. Perhaps we can detail a timeline for getting the requested meeting scheduled. Comment by Tiffany Fulse: Updated

The use of sub-contractors does not relieve the Contractor from these requirements.

7. The Contractor's and the County’s Representative or designee shall visit the work site prior to starting operations on any assigned project to ascertain site conditions. The Contractor and the County’s Representative or designee shall agree on a schedule and required drawings prior to beginning any work ordered. The work schedule will contain the location of the work each day. The drawings shall include specific details of work to be provided, materials, applicable design standards and location. The Contractor will shall consult with the County's Representative prior to any schedule variance. The notification will shall take placeoccur the day before the day of the scheduled variance and must be agreed to by the County's Representative. All work shall begin within one (1) week after the submitted quote.

8. LIQUIDATED DAMAGES

For any project released under this contract, liquidated damages in the amount of two hundred dollars ($200) per workday may be assessed if the project is not completed by the completion date as established in the delivery order or as authorized by the County’s Representative. Liquidated damages will start the first workday after the date the project was scheduled to be completed and will continue for each workday thereafter until the project is complete.

As a courtesy to the Contractor, an email notification on liquidated damages to be assessed will be sent by the County's Representative. Should the Contractor disagree with the assessed amount, the Contractor shall immediately contact the County's Representative to discuss the reasons for disagreement. As previously specified, time extensions shall not be granted after the fact and will not be considered as part of the appeal. No revisions will be made after the Contractor has received payment for any projects.

9. The Contractor shall supervise and direct the work efficiently with due care, skill and attendance. The Contractor shall be responsible to ensure that the finished work complies accurately with the specifications.

10. On a case by case basis, in an area where County surplus property is available, the Contractor may, after obtaining permission from the person or persons responsible for the property, use said property for staging area with the understanding that the Contractor shall restore the property to its original or better condition upon completion of the project prior to submitting an invoice for work completed and accepted. All agreements for utilizing areas for staging must be in writing and submitted to the County prior to starting operations.

11. Water needed on the project shall be coordinated between the Contractor and the utility company providing the water at no additional cost to the County.

H. EQUIPMENT - The Contractor shall furnish necessary equipment to satisfactorily perform the work required under this contract. The Contractor shall ensure all equipment used in the performance of the contract on County property is in good safe working order and properly maintained in order to protect the operator and the public. All equipment, including pick-up trucks, and equipment belonging to subcontractors (including sub-contractors) onsite (including pick-up trucks) shall be identified with the company logo.

1. Suggested Equipment List. It is the contractor’s Contractor’s responsibility to provide the proper and adequate equipment to provide allfor the provision of services. The list below is a resource list, not a requirements lists:

All equipment used by the Contractor is subject to inspection by the County’s Representative. Any equipment on site, which is deemed by the County’s Representative to be inoperable, unsafe, or improper for desired use, must shall be removed from the premises by the Contractor at his/her expense. Equipment shall be removed the same day of the cCounty’s determination.

Equipment authorized by the County to be left on the right-of-way or County property after designated work hours will be placed outside the clear and recovery area and will be the sole responsibility of the Contractor. If equipment is left on the right-of-way, it will shall be marked with barricades with approved steady burning amber lights.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

All work and materials shall be in accordance with the F.D.O.T. Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, and F.D.O.T., and Orange County Road Construction and Specifications, latest edition unless otherwise directed in writing by the County’s Representative.

A. PLANS AND DRAWINGS

Unless otherwise specified, no plans/drawings are provided for work to be performed under this contract. All work of every description shall be laid out and checked by the Contractor who shall be held solely responsible for its correctness.

The Contractor shall receive notice of need (i.e. phone call, email, work order containing a map for the project area) from the County’s Representative a request of an onsite meeting within forty-eight (48) hours of notification. The County’s Representative or designee shall meet on site with the Contractor and set the limits of operation, determine the quantities to be worked and/or used and set the project mutually agreed start and end dates. A detailed quote including quantities, materials needed, start and end dates and layout for requested projects (square feet Bahia sod, square feet St. Augustine etc.), conflicts and recommendations shall be reviewed and signed onsite by both parties. The Contractor shall submit the quote within one (1) workday and all work shall begin within one (1) week after the submitted quote.

Costs associated with the determination of quantities, materials, recommendations, labor, and incidentals shall be included in the unit prices for services. No special compensation will be made to the Contractor to defray costs of any of the work or delays by making surveys and measurements, tests or inspections, but such costs shall be considered as having been included in the prices stipulated for the several items of work to be done under this contract. The Contractor shall bear all costs of relocating and/or re-establishing damaged or lost monuments/control structures. Prices established for work to be done willfor the services rendered shall reflect all costs pertaining to the work. Any claims for extras based on substrata or ground water table conditions will not be allowed.

B. QUANTITY AND FREQUENCY OF WORK

The work specified in this contract represents the type of services to be accomplished. The Contractor shall be responsible for verification; any discrepancies or disagreements concerning quantities and limits of work shall be immediately reported in writing to the County's Representative prior to starting operations. Discrepancies or disagreements will be mutually resolved prior to beginning work in any area in question. The County will make the final determination on any unresolved matters.

C. UNDERGROUND OR OVERHEAD UTILITIES

The Contractor shall cooperate with owners of any underground or overhead utilities in the removal and rearrangement operations, in order that these operations may progress in a reasonable manner and that service rendered by these parties will not be interrupted. Excavators shall comply with Florida Statutes, Chapter 77-1 53, regarding notification of existing gas and oil pipeline company owners prior to excavating. Evidence of such notice shall be furnished to the County’s Representative prior to excavating. During the period of this contract the Contractor shall coordinate all utility relocations and adjustments necessary for project. Costs associated with these activities shall be included on the unit prices for services.

D. UTILITIES LOCATES

The Contractor shall be responsible for locates of utilities prior to starting operations. Tickets shall be kept on site at all times. The Contractor shall notify the residents of any damages (irrigation, utilities, etc.) and shall repair damages immediately. The Contractor shall be responsible for these areas for a period of six (6) months after acceptance of the project and shall be required to correct any damages related to such repairs. No additional compensation shall be provided to the Contractor for locates or repairs to damages as specified above.

E. MAINTAINING CULTIVATED PLOTS

The Contractor shall be fully responsible for maintaining in good condition all cultivated grass plots, trees and shrubs beyond the grading limits of this contract. After completion of the work, the Contractor shall replace or restore to the original or better condition all destroyed or damaged shrubbery or grass areas. Tree limbs, which interfere with equipment operation and are approved for pruning, shall be neatly trimmed and the tree cut coated with tree paint.

F. DAMAGES BEYOND THE CONTRACT

The Contractor shall be responsible for and make good all damage resulting from his/her activities, both within and beyond the limits of this contract, to buildings, telephone, power or other cables, water pipes, storm sever facilities, sanitary pipes, gas lines, traffic signalization, or other utilities or structures which shall be encountered. It shall be the Contractor’s responsibility to determine the location, character and depth of any existing utilities and to assist the utility companies, by every means possible, to determine said locations. Extreme caution shall be exercised to eliminate any possibility of any damage to utilities resulting from Contractor’s activities.

G. PREVENTION, CONTROL AND ABATEMENT OF EROSION AND WATER POLLUTION

Prevention, control and abatement of erosion and water pollution shall conform to the requirements of F.D.O.T. Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, Section 104, most recent edition, except where authorized by the County’s Representative and shall produce the results required by the rules of the Orange County Environmental Protection Division.

The Contractor shall implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) for sedimentation, erosion, and pollution control to prevent violation of State Water Quality Standards. Turbidity barriers shall be installed at all locations where the possibility of transferring suspended solids into the receiving water body exists. The Contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, equipment, and incidentals necessary to perform all installation, maintenance, removal and area cleanup related to sedimentation control work as specified herein. The cost for sedimentation, erosion, and pollution control shall be included in the unit price for services under this contract.

All work and incidental costs required to comply with the prevention, control and abatement of erosion and water as herein specified shall be included in the unit price for services.

H. SODDING

Shall be inclusive labor, materials, erosion control, grading, compaction, watering and any other incidentals needed to complete the work. The types of sod will be specified in the work order form. All seed and sod shall meet the requirements of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and all applicable state laws and shall be approved by the County Representative before installation. All seed, sod and mulch shall be free of noxious weeds and exotic pest plants, plant parts or seed listed in the current Category I “List of Invasive Species” from the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC, http://www.fleppc.org). Any plant officially listed as being noxious or undesirable by any Federal Agency, any agency of the State of Florida or any local jurisdiction in which the project is being constructed shall not be used. Any such noxious or invasive plant or plant part found to be delivered in seed, sod or mulch will be removed by the Contractor at his expense and in accordance with the law. All materials shall meet plant quarantine and certification entry requirements of Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry Rules. Comment by Hernandez Fernandez, Alina: Tiff, this perhaps needs to be added to the Fee Schedule, not the scope. Comment by Fulse, Tiffany J: Added to the fee schedule description.

The work specified in this section consists of establishing a stand of grass, within work order areas, by providing the necessary ground preparation, furnishing and placing of grass sod, fertilizing, watering, and maintaining the sodded areas to ensure a thick, healthy-established stand of grass and root system.

The sod shall be well matted with roots. The sod shall be taken up in commercial-size rectangles, or rolls, preferably twelve (12) inches by twenty-four (24) inches or larger, except where six (6) inch strip sodding is called for, or as rolled sod at least twelve (12) inches in width and length consistent with the equipment and methods used to handle the rolls and place the sod. Sod shall be a minimum of one and a quarter (1-1/4) inches thick including three quarters (3/4)-inch-thick layer of roots and topsoil. Reducing the width of rolled sod is not permitted after the sod has been taken up from the initial growing location. Any netting contained within the sod shall be certified by the manufacturer to be bio-degradable within a period of three months from installation.

The sod shall be sufficiently thick to secure a dense stand of live turf. The sod shall be live, fresh and uninjured, at the time of planting. It shall have a soil mat of sufficient thickness adhering firmly to the roots to withstand all necessary handling. It shall be planted within forty-eight (48) hours after being cut and kept moist from the time it is cut until it is planted. No sod which has been cut for more than forty-eight (48) hours may be used unless specifically authorized by the County Representative. A letter of certification from the turf Contractor as to when the sod was cut, and what type shall be provided to the County Representative upon delivery of the sod to the job site. The source of the sod may be inspected and approved by the County Representative prior to being cut for use in the work.

1. Preparation of Ground: Fertilize at the rate as shown in Section L, Item 3J. The Contractor shall scarify or loosen the areas requiring sod to a depth of six (6) inches and shall limit preparation to those areas that can be sodded within seventy-two (72) hours after preparation. Prior to sodding, the Contractor shall thoroughly water areas and allow water to percolate into the soil and also allowfor surface moisture to dry before sodding to prevent muddy soil condition. Comment by Hernandez Fernandez, Alina: Make sure this is referencing the correct section. Section L speaks to clean up. Comment by Tiffany Fulse: Updated to Section J.

2. Placing Sod: The Contractor shall place sod immediately after ground preparation and shall not use sod which has been cut for more than seventy-two (72) hours. Sod shall be stacked that is not planted within twenty-four (24) hours after cutting and maintain proper moist condition. When weather and soil conditions are unsuitable for proper results sod shall not be placed. The Contractor shall pre-wet the area prior to placing sod and shall not place sod on eroded or washed out sites.

The Contractor shall:

a. Place the sod on the prepared surface, with edges in close contact and embed it firmly and smoothly by light tamping with appropriate tools.

b. Place the sod to the edge of all the paving and shrub areas and one (1) inch below adjoining pavement with an even surface and edge.

c. Place rolled sod parallel with the roadway and cut any exposed netting even with the sod edge. Roll using a lightweight turf roller.

d. Provide a true and even surface without any displacement of the sod order formation.

e. Where sodding in drainage ditches, stagger the setting of the sod pieces to avoid a continuous seam along the line of flow.

f. Ensure that the offsets of individual strips do not exceed six (6) inches

g. Tamp the outer pieces of sod to produce a featheredge effect

h. Every piece of sod shall be pegged if the area to be sodded has a slope of three-to-one (3:1) or greater or at locations where the sod shall slide. Only whole sections of sod will be accepted. A minimum of three (3) pegs/pins (minimum of twelve inches (12”) in length) for pieces of sod shall be used on slopes and other area as required by the County’s Representative.

3. Watering: The Contractor shall thoroughly water the sod immediately after placing and shall not water in excess of one (1) inch per week for establishment or watering could cause erosion. The areas on which sod is to be placed shall contain sufficient moisture, as determined by the County’s Representative, for optimum results after being placed. The Contractor shall keep the sod in a moist condition until a thick, healthy-established stand of grass and root system is established. The moistened condition shall extend to at least the full depth of the rooting zone. The Contractor shall not apply more than one (1) inch of water per acre per week or when there is danger of a freezing condition.

4. Maintenance: The Contractor shall maintain the sodded areas in a satisfactory condition until final acceptance of the project and shall include in such maintenance the filling, leveling, and repairing of any washed or eroded areas, as may be necessary.

5. Types of Sod

a. Argentina Bahia and Pensacola Bahia Sodding The contract price per square feet for Bahia sodding shall be full compensation for all work required in the preparing of ground, furnishing and placing the Bahia grass sod, watering and maintaining the sodded areas to ensure a thick, healthy established stand of grass and root system.

b. Floratam St. Augustine and Seville St. Augustine Sodding The contract price per square feet for St. Augustine sodding shall be full compensation for all work required in preparing of ground, furnishing and placing of St. Augustine grass sod and watering, and maintaining the sodded areas to ensure a thick, healthy-established stand of grass and root system.

c. Zoysia Sodding The contract price per square feet for Zoysia sodding shall be full compensation for all work required in preparing of ground, furnishing and placing of Zoysia grass sod and watering, and maintaining the sodded areas to ensure a thick, healthy-established stand of grass and root system.

d. Pegged Sodding Every piece of sod shall be pegged if the area to be sodded has a slope of three-to-one (3:1) or greater or at locations where the sod shall slide. Only whole sections of sod will be accepted. A minimum of three (3) pegs/pins (min 12” in length) for pieces of sod shall be used on slopes and other area as required by the County’s Representative.

6. Material: The materials used in this work (sod, commercial fertilizer and water) shall conform to the requirements as specified herein.

7. The device for spreading fertilizer shall be capable of uniformly distributing the material at the specified rate. A cultipacker, traffic roller, or other suitable equipment shall be required for rolling the grassed areas.

8. Sequence of Operation The operations involved the work shall precede in the following sequence: ground preparation, watering, fertilizing, placing of sod, watering and herbicide treatment to eliminate weeds.

The work specified in this section consists of establishing a stand of grass, within work order areas, by providing the necessary ground preparation, furnishing and placing of grass sod, fertilizing, watering, and maintaining the sodded areas to ensure a thick, healthy-established stand of grass and root system, free of pest plants and noxious weeds for thirty (30) calendar days after the final inspection. However, if the sod has not produced a healthy established stand of grass and root system, the sod shall be replaced at no additional cost to the County, following all sequence of operations as outlined within the contract. The Contractor shall treat affected areas with approved herbicide at no expense to the County.

I. SEEDING AND MULCHING

The seed shall have been harvested from the previous year’s crop. All seed bags shall have a label attached stating the date of harvest, LOT number, percent purity, percent germination, noxious weed certification and date of test. Each of the species or varieties of seed shall be furnished and delivered in separate labeled bags. During handling and storing, the seed shall be cared for in such a manner that it will be protected from damage by heat, moisture, rodents and other causes. All permanent and temporary turf seed shall have been tested within a period of six (6) months of the date of planting. All seed shall meet the requirements of the State Department of Consumer Services and all applicable state laws. When a low percentage grass seed or native seed germination causes the quality of the seed to fall below the minimum pure live seed percentage as specified below, the Contractor may elect, subject to the approval of the County’s Representative, to increase the rate of application sufficiently to obtain the minimum germination rate required. No additional payment will be made for the added seed. During the handling and storing, the seed shall be cared for in a manner that it will be protected from damage by heat, moisture, rodents and other causes. All permanent and temporary grass seed shall have been tested within a period of six (6) months of the date of planting.

1. Types of Seed All permanent and temporary grass seed shall have a minimum percent of purity and germination as follows:

a. Argentina Bahia grass seed shall have a minimum pure seed content of ninety-five percent (95%) with a minimum germination of eighty eighty (80%) percent (80%).

b. Pensacola Bahia grass seed shall have a minimum pure seed content of ninety-five percent (95%) with a minimum active germination of forty percent (40%) and a total germination of eighty percent (80%) including firm seed.

c. Bermuda grass seed shall be of common variety with a minimum pure seed content of ninety-five percent (95%) with a minimum germination of eighty-five percent (85%).

d. Annual type Rye grass seed shall have a minimum pure seed content of ninety-five percent (95%) with a minimum germination of ninety percent (90%).

e. Millet seed shall be of the brown top variety with a minimum pure seed content of ninety percent (90%) with a minimum germination of eighty-five percent (85%).

2. Mulching When mulching is called for, approximately two (2) inches, loose thickness, of the mulch material shall then be applied uniformly over the seeded area, and the mulch material cut into the soil with the specified equipment, so as to produce a loose-mulched thickness of three (3) to four (4) inches. Care shall be exercised that the materials are not cut too deeply into the soil. When green mulch is used the green mulch shall be incorporated into the soil not later than two (2) days after being cut and no artificial watering of mulch shall be done before it is applied.

The mulch material used shall normally be dry mulch. Dry mulch shall be straw or hay, consisting of oats, rye, or wheat straw, or of pangola, peanut, coastal Bermuda or Bahia grass hay; and shall be free of noxious weeds and undesirable grasses and plants. Any plant officially listed as being noxious or undesirable by any Federal Agency and Agency of the State of Florida or a local jurisdiction in which the project is being constructed shall not be used. Only undeteriorated mulch, which can be readily cut into the soil, shall be used. Green mulch shall consist of live coastal Bermuda, or other approved type of grass, and shall be free from weeds and obnoxious or undesirable grasses. No green mulch which, in the County’s representative’s or designee’s opinion, has been allowed to become sufficiently dry as to lose its growth-producing benefits will be allowed to be used. In the event that the subsequent stand of grass is found to be contaminated with weeds or other obnoxious or undesirable growth, and it can be determined that such growth was introduced with the green mulch, the Contractor shall be required to effectively eliminate such undesirable growth, at his own expense. When specified or permitted by the County’s Representative, manufactured mulches may be allowed. Such mulches may consist of jute, cotton, or other fiber materials, plastic sheeting, netting, chemical adhesive soil stabilizers, or their approved coverings.

3. Source Requirement for Seed and Mulch The Contractor shall comply with all current restrictions regarding the movement of seed and mulch material, into or within areas which are outside of quarantine boundaries for the white fringed beetle, witchweed, and West Indian sugar cane borer weevil, as issued by the Division of Plant Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

4. Rolling Immediately after completion of seeding, the entire grassed or mulched area shall be rolled thoroughly with the equipment specified in Section I, Seeding and Mulching, Item 8, Equipment. At least two trips over the entire area will be required. Comment by Hernandez Fernandez, Alina: Make sure this is referencing the correct section. Comment by Tiffany Fulse: It’s correct.

5. Watering Newly seeded areas are not to be watered to force the seed germination but only to sustain grass growth.

6. Operations on Steep Slopes

On steep slopes, where the use of a machine for the cutting-in process is not practicable, the construction operations shall be modified as follows:

The fertilizer shall be applied uniformly, at the rate specified, and shall be raked in and thoroughly mixed with the soil to a depth of approximately two (2) inches. The seeding operations shall follow the fertilization.

When mulching is called for, the mulch material, in lieu of being cut into the soil, may be anchored down. Anchoring shall be done by either of the following methods:

a. Placing a layer of soil, approximately two (2) inches thick by nine (9) inches wide at the limits of the mulch, and spotting soil piles over the rest of the area at a maximum spacing of four (4) feet.

b. Spreading a string net over the mulch, using stakes driven flush with the top of the mulch, at six (6) foot centers, and stringing parallel and perpendicular, with diagonals on both directions.

7. Materials The materials used in this work (seed, mulch, fertilizer and water shall conform to the requirements of the FDOT Standard specifications.

8. Equipment Equipment includes a fertilizer spreader, seed spreader, equipment for cutting mulch into soil and rollers. The fertilizer spreader, the device for spreading fertilizer, shall be capable of uniformly distributing the material at the specified rate. The seed spreader shall be an approved mechanical hand spreader or other approved type of spreader. The mulching equipment shall be of a type capable of cutting the specified materials uniformly into the soil and at the required depth. Harrows will not be allowed. A cultipacker, traffic roller, or other suitable equipment will be required for rolling the grass areas.

9. Construction Methods Fertilizing, seeding and mulching will not be permitted when wind velocities exceed fifteen (15) miles per hour. Seed shall be sown only when the soil is moist and in proper condition to induce growth. No seeding shall be done when the ground is frozen, unduly wet or otherwise not in a tillable condition.

10. General Whenever a suitable length of roadway, slopes, or adjacent areas has been graded and is ready for seeding and a delivery order has been issued requiring seeding, the Contractor shall proceed at once with the grassing of available areas. Prior to the issuing of said delivery order, work must be coordinated with the Contractor.

11. Sequence of Operations The operations involved in this work shall proceed in the following sequence: ground preparation, fertilizing, seed spreading and cutting in mulch with follow-up maintenance and watering as required.

HYDRO SEEDING (without Bonded Fiber Matrix (BFM))

Hydro seeding: shall be inclusive of labor, materials, erosion control, grading, compaction, watering and any other incidentals needed to complete the work. The Contractor shall use equipment specifically designed for mixing the wood fiber, seed, fertilizer, tackifier and dye, and applying the slurry uniformly over the areas to be hydro seeded. Wood fiber shall be used that is made of one hundred percent (100%) hardwood or softwood and does not contain reprocessed wood or paper fibers. The Contractor shall ensure that a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the fibers are equal to or greater than fifteen hundredths (0.15) inch in length and a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the fibers will be retained on a twenty-five-mesh screen. Mix fertilizer shall be used as required into the hydro seeding slurry, Mixing seed into the slurry at rates in accordance with Design Standards, Index 104 of F.D.O.T.’s Standard Specifications for Road & Bridge Construction. The Contractor shall ensure that the dye does not contain growth or germination inhibiting chemicals. When polyacrylamide is used as part of hydro seeding mix, only anionic polymer formulation with free acrylamide monomer residual content of less than five (5%) shall be used. Cationic polyacrylamide shall not be used in any concentration. The spraying of polyacrylamide containing mixtures onto pavement is absolutely prohibited as they may include tackifiers, flocculants or moisture-holding compounds.

The contract price per square feet for hydro seeding (without bonded fiber matrix) shall be full compensation for all work required in the preparing of ground, furnishing and placing the hydro seeding, watering and maintaining the hydro seeded areas to ensure a thick, healthy established stand of grass and root system for thirty (30) calendar days after the final inspection. However, if the hydro seeding has not produced a healthy established stand of grass and root system, the hydro seeding shall be reapplied at no additional cost to the County, following all sequence of operations as outlined within the contract.

Watering The Contractor shall water all turf areas as necessary to produce a healthy and vigorous stand of turf.

Fertilizing Fertilize as necessary based on soil testing performed in accordance with Section 162 of the F.D.O.T.’s Standard Specifications for Road & Bridge Construction. Refer to Section L, Item 3, of this Scope of Service for fertilizer rates.

BONDED FIBER MATRIX (BFM) used with hydro seeding only)

Bonded Fiber Matrix (BFM): Shall by inclusive of materials, erosion control, grading, compaction, watering and any other incidentals needed to complete the work. Shall meet the minimum physical and performance criteria of this Specification for use of BFM in hydro seeding operations. The Contractor shall provide evidence of product performance testing, manufacturer’s certification of training and material samples with the bid proposal along with documentation of manufacturer’s testing at an independent laboratory to the Engineer, demonstrating superior performance of BFM as measured by reduced water runoff, reduced soil loss and faster seed germination in comparison to erosion control blankets. The Contractor shall ensure use BFM composed of long strand, thermally processed wood fibers held together by cross linked hydro-colloid tackifier (>10%), which, upon drying becomes water-insoluble and non-dispersible. The BFM shall contain biodegradable dye to aid in uniform application of the material and that the resulting matrix performs in a manner equal or superior to biodegradable erosion control blankets (ECBs). BFMs that contain all components pre-packaged by the manufacturer to assure material performance shall be used. Materials in UV and weather resistant factory labeled packaging shall be used. The Contractor shall store and handle products in strict compliance with the manufacturer’s directions. When polyacrylamide is used as part of hydro seeding mix, only anionic polymer formulation with free acrylamide monomer residual content of less than 0.05% shall be used. Cationic polyacrylamide shall not be used in any concentration. The Contractor shall not spray polyacrylamide containing mixtures onto pavement as these may include tackifiers, flocculants or moisture-holding compounds.

The Contractor shall meet the following requirements after application of the…