ITB - Construction of Hike and Bike Trails Along South Belt Basin Trail (2023) for Harris County Precinct 2

Harris County Precinct 2, through the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD), is soliciting competitive bids for the construction of a hike and bike trail along the South Belt Basin Trail (UPIN 24102MF34B01). This Invitation to Bid (ITB) seeks a qualified contractor to construct approximately 1.63 miles of a 10-foot wide concrete walking trail along the high bank of an existing HCFCD detention basin, including a parking lot at the northwest corner accessible via S Canyon Drive. The estimated project duration is 269 calendar days (approximately 9 months), with construction activities projected to run from June 17, 2023, through September 21, 2025. Bidders must submit complete bids through the Bonfire platform by 2:00 P.M. Houston local time on March 2, 2026, with a pre-bid conference scheduled for February 17, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. CST via Microsoft Teams (attendance encouraged but not mandatory). All bids must include pricing on the Bonfire BidTable on an all-inclusive basis incorporating all labor, materials, equipment, and other costs, with payment terms of Net 30 from invoice approval by the Office of the County Engineer. Qualified bidders must demonstrate the capacity to perform a minimum of 25 percent of the work with their own forces, maintain comprehensive safety programs including OSHA 10 certification for manual workers and OSHA 30 certification for managers, comply with prevailing wage rates under Texas Government Code Section 2258 (ranging from $16.63 to $31.46 per hour depending on classification) or the Harris County Contractor Minimum Wage of $21.65 per hour whichever is higher, provide workers' compensation insurance at statutory limits, and obtain performance and payment bonds equal to 100 percent of the contract price. The contractor must utilize Harris County's e-Builder Construction Program Management Software at no cost for project administration and technical control with mandatory updates within 24 hours of any new or changed information, maintain comprehensive Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) compliance under TPDES General Permit TXR150000, conduct weekly site inspections using a sixteen-point safety checklist, and submit weekly certified payroll records demonstrating wage compliance.

This procurement includes mandatory set-asides and compliance requirements for minority- and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBE), with bidders required to demonstrate good faith efforts to meet or exceed advertised M/WBE participation goals through participation by firms certified by recognized agencies including the City of Houston, Texas Unified Certification Program, U.S. Small Business Administration 8(a), Houston Minority Supplier Development Council, National Minority Supplier Development Council, Women's Business Enterprise Alliance, or Women's Business Enterprise National Council. All bidders must complete the Harris County Safety Record Questionnaire certifying no OSHA Severe Violator Enforcement Program listing within three years, no high-gravity serious OSHA citations within 24 months, no willful/repeated violations within three years, and no criminal convictions related to workplace deaths or serious injuries within ten years; failure to certify "True" on all six mandatory safety certifications results in bid disqualification. Bidders must also submit a Tax Residence Certification establishing their principal place of business location, complete Form 1295 (Certificate of Interested Parties), provide bid security in the form of either a bid bond or cashier's check equal to 5 percent of the bid amount, and maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including commercial general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, business automobile liability of $1,000,000, contractor's pollution liability of $1,000,000 each claim and annual aggregate, and excess/umbrella liability of $3,000,000. No specific incumbent contractors or existing contract values are referenced in the solicitation documents; however, the estimated project construction budget and final award amount will be determined through the competitive bidding process based on lowest responsive, responsible bidder evaluation. Contractors must implement mandatory heat illness prevention and emergency response plans when temperatures exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit, post TCEQ construction site notices at visible locations, and comply with all applicable federal, state, and local environmental protection, safety, and labor compliance laws throughout the project duration.