Grass Cutting Services

The Housing Authority of the City of Allentown, Pennsylvania is soliciting sealed bids for grass cutting services at 25 properties under Bid No. 2026-006-000-50-4430021, with written questions due November 17, 2026 at 12:00 PM and bids due December 1, 2026 at 10:00 AM through PennBid. Eligibility requires a current City of Allentown business license, issued within fourteen calendar days of award notification and maintained throughout the term.

Scope covers weekly seasonal mowing at a three-inch cutting height, trimming, site cleanup, and bagging and removal of clippings at sites that require it. Contractors must complete all sites within three business days, Monday through Wednesday, and may not begin before 8:00 AM without approval. Callbacks require a response within 24 hours at no charge, and the contractor bears responsibility for property damage. Contractors must provide Workers' Compensation, automobile liability, and commercial general liability coverage of not less than $1 million per occurrence naming the Housing Authority as additional insured. Prevailing wage for groundskeeper work is $17.50 per hour with zero fringe benefits, effective through June 30, 2028. Section 3 safe harbor benchmarks require 25 percent of total labor hours performed by Section 3 workers and 5 percent by targeted Section 3 workers (public housing residents), with documentation of estimated labor hours and planned compliance efforts.

Pricing is per cut. Bidders submit aggregate base contract costs for each bid grouping, itemized per-cut costs by site, and proposed costs for both optional extension years. The base term runs April 1, 2027 through November 30, 2029, with two one-year extensions (April 1, 2030 through November 30, 2030, and April 1, 2031 through November 30, 2031) exercisable at the Housing Authority's sole discretion without price renegotiation. Payment is due within thirty calendar days of invoice receipt upon satisfactory performance. Prompt payment discounts will not be considered, and all discounts must be included in bid prices.

The Housing Authority will issue six separate bids (A through F) and award each to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder, and one bidder may win multiple bids. Responses to written questions will be issued by November 20, 2026 at 3:00 PM. Late submissions will not be accepted. The Housing Authority may cancel with thirty days' notice for cause or two days' notice for repeated non-performance, delays, or non-compliance.