Grave Creek Adena Mound Mowing Services

The West Virginia Department of Tourism, on behalf of the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex, issued an Agency Request for Quote (ARFQ) for seasonal mowing, trimming, and grounds maintenance services at the Grave Creek Adena Mound located at 801 Jefferson Avenue, Moundsville, West Virginia. The procurement requires vendors to provide services from May 1, 2026, through October 31, 2026, with monthly mowing of the Adena Mound (minimum six visits), bi-weekly mowing of general and hillside areas (first and third weeks of each month), and additional storm debris cleanup services as directed by agency staff. Critical specifications include maintaining grass at approximately two inches on the Adena Mound using only lightweight string trimmers to protect the archaeological site, maintaining general areas at 2.5 to 3.5 inches, preventing erosion and soil disturbance, and avoiding mowing when soil is saturated. Vendors must submit a lump sum bid covering three service categories: General & Hillside Area Mowing (multiplied by 12 visits), Adena Mound Mowing (multiplied by 6 visits), and Storm Call Clean-up (multiplied by 6 visits), with award going to the lowest overall total cost. Qualified bidders must demonstrate five successful lawn or landscaping services completed within the past three years and must maintain a designated contract manager available during normal business hours, with all equipment, gas, labor, and travel costs included in the bid price. The solicitation was issued on April 15, 2026, with questions due by 12:00 PM EST on April 17, 2026, answers posted by 4:00 PM EST the same day, and bids due at 2:00 PM EST on April 22, 2026, submitted via email to Mary R. Kemper at Mary.R.Kemper@wv.gov.

The procurement contains no identified set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to specific organization types, though all vendors must comply with West Virginia Code 5A-3-10a by submitting a notarized Purchasing Affidavit affirming they do not owe debts exceeding one thousand dollars to the state or its political subdivisions and are not in employer default status. The contract is structured as a fixed-period contract with an effective term of 365 calendar days, and vendors are required to maintain Commercial General Liability Insurance of at least one million dollars per occurrence with the State named as an additional insured. Pricing is fixed for the contract life, and vendors must accept payment by electronic funds transfer and P-Card, with payments made in arrears upon receipt of proper invoices. The contract may be renewed by written agreement for up to three consecutive additional terms beyond the initial period. No incumbent vendors or current contractors were identified in the solicitation materials, and no specific budget range or award value was disclosed; however, prospective bidders should note that the vendor assumes responsibility for repair of any turf damage at no cost to the agency, and the final award will be based on lowest overall total cost meeting all specifications.