Schererville Disaster Debris Removal and Disposal Services

The Town of Schererville, Indiana is requesting proposals for disaster debris removal and disposal services following severe storms in August 2026, with proposals due October 12, 2026 at 12:00 PM CST and anticipated award at the Town Council meeting on October 14 at 6:30 PM.

The scope encompasses removal and disposal of all FEMA-eligible debris from Town-maintained rights of way, including clearing, sorting, and removing debris; operating debris reduction sites; reducing vegetative debris through grinding, chipping, or burning; and final disposal across all debris types. The contract is funded through the FEMA Public Assistance Program and must comply with Davis-Bacon Act wage requirements, equal employment opportunity mandates, and disadvantaged business enterprise affirmative-action steps.

The initial contract term is 120 days, with options for extension to one year from execution and three additional one-year renewal periods at the Town's discretion. Proposals will be scored on contractor experience and past performance (25%), proposal and work plan quality (30%), cost (35%), and references (10%), with optional interviews potentially available for an additional 20 points.

Contractors must submit cost proposals using a detailed line-item form covering loading and hauling vegetative debris, collection and hauling of construction and demolition debris, tree and stump removal, debris site preparation and operation, and restoration. A bid bond or certified check equal to not less than 5% of the contract amount is required prior to submission. Before work commences, contractors must provide a 100% performance bond and maintain commercial general liability insurance of $2 million aggregate / $1 million per occurrence, comprehensive automobile and motor vehicle liability of $1 million, and worker's compensation coverage of $1 million per occurrence. Payment will be made within 45 days of invoice approval based on reconciled load tickets, with the Town retaining up to 10% of payment for reasonable cause. Questions must be submitted within the DFS Procurement Portal at dfs.bonfirehub.com within 48 hours before the submission deadline; questions submitted outside the Portal or within 48 hours of the deadline will not be answered. All companies, including women, minority, and veteran-owned businesses, are encouraged to submit.