Portage County Tree Removal for CTH I

Portage County, Wisconsin is seeking bids for tree cutting services related to a highway construction project on County Road I (CTH I) from County Road Z to CTH OO in the Town of Sharon. The procurement involves clearing trees and brush greater than 2 inches in diameter along a specified highway corridor, with specific requirements including cutting stumps not exceeding 12 inches above grade, cutting trees to 100-inch lengths, removing branches, and disposing of all cut materials off-site. Bidders must have been in the tree cutting business for at least five years and provide three professional references demonstrating high satisfaction with comparable services. The bid is due by 2:00 PM on January 9, 2018, and will be submitted to the Portage County Purchasing Department at 1462 Strongs Ave, Stevens Point, WI 54481. The project is divided into three phases with completion dates of January 31, 2018, February 15, 2018, and March 15, 2018, with liquidated damages of $250 per day assessed for delays beyond specified phase completion dates. Award will be made to the lowest total cost bidder who is responsive and responsible and meets all specifications.

The contract does not specify any specific set-aside designations or restrictions on participating organizations. Contractors must provide comprehensive insurance coverage, including worker's compensation, commercial liability with minimum $1,000,000 limits for bodily injury and property damage, and motor vehicle insurance with minimum $1,000,000 combined single limit coverage. All insurance policies must be issued by Wisconsin-licensed carriers with a minimum AM Best rating of A1 and include 30-day cancellation notice provisions. The project involves coordination with Wisconsin Public Service for overhead power line clearing, with WPS handling safety zone cutting and the contractor responsible for subsequent cleanup. While no specific budget range is provided in the documents, the contract will be executed electronically through the County's DocuSign program at no cost to the bidder. The project requires strict compliance with federal, state, and local laws, with particular attention to avoiding disturbance of identified wetlands and obtaining prior written approval for any work modifications.