2026 Tree Pruning

The City of Westerville Parks & Recreation Department is seeking bids for a 2026 Tree Pruning Project involving maintenance pruning services for municipal trees across multiple city zones. The procurement encompasses approximately 2,090 total trees, with a base bid of 1,960 trees and three alternative lists ranging from 245 to 510 additional trees. Bidders must be contractors deriving major income from arboricultural work, with crew leaders who are International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborists. The project requires comprehensive tree maintenance including clearance, risk reduction, and structural improvement, with work to be completed by March 31, 2026. Specific bid requirements include compliance with ANSI Z-133.1 and ANSI A300 Pruning Standards, and mandatory electronic submission through the Bonfire Procurement Portal by 3:00 p.m. on January 8, 2026. A non-mandatory pre-bid conference was scheduled for December 17, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. via Google Meet, with written questions accepted until December 19, 2025, at 3:00 p.m.

No specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises were explicitly mentioned in the contract documents. The project allows work between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, excluding state and federal holidays. Contractors must provide liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per person for bodily injury and $2,000,000 per accident, with the City named as additional insured. Successful bidders must submit a Certificate of Insurance, Worker's Compensation Certificate, and provide at least four municipal tree work references from the past five years. While no specific budget range was detailed, the contract allows for awarding the base bid or base bid with any combination of alternatives to the lowest and best bidder. Materials may be purchased tax-free, and contractors must withhold City income taxes for employees and approved subcontractors. The City reserves the right to determine the most advantageous bid proposal.