Stormwater Aquatic and Right of Way Weed Control

The City of Ocala, Florida, on behalf of Marion County, is issuing Invitation to Bid (ITB) PWD/260492 for Stormwater Aquatic and Right of Way Weed Control services. The procurement seeks an experienced contractor to manage aquatic vegetation and exotic species growth across approximately 58.3 acres distributed among 24 treatment locations throughout Ocala's municipal properties and parks, including Toms Park, Tuscawilla Park, Chazal Park, El Foster Park, the Municipal Golf Course, and various other designated areas. The contractor must provide comprehensive services encompassing chemical/pesticide application, biological treatment, or mechanical removal of aquatic weeds using only registered, approved herbicides applied in strict accordance with label directions. All work requires 12 annual treatments per location with monthly treatments mandated for retention ponds, allowing no more than 30 days between treatments unless otherwise approved by the City. Minimum qualifications mandate that all bidders hold a Florida Commercial Applicator License (Aquatic) and a Right of Way Pesticide Applicator License at the time of bid submittal, with the contractor required to perform a minimum of 90 percent of work with its own forces. The bid due date is March 19, 2026, with a non-mandatory pre-bid meeting scheduled for March 5, 2026, at 2:00 PM EST at the Public Works Administration office located at 1805 NE 30th Avenue, Building 300, Ocala, Florida 34470. Award will be made to the lowest responsive bidder meeting all requirements based on a three-year contract term with options for two additional one-year renewals, with pricing submitted on a unit price basis in Excel format covering base stormwater and aquatic weed control services plus optional supplemental herbicide treatments and right-of-way applications.

The procurement documents do not identify any set-aside designations, disadvantaged enterprise requirements, incumbent vendors, or current contractors. No existing infrastructure or technology integration requirements are specified in the solicitation materials. Bidders must maintain Commercial General Liability insurance with limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, Commercial Automotive Liability of not less than $1,000,000, and Workers' Compensation coverage per Florida statutory requirements. The contractor is responsible for all equipment, licenses, disposal fees, and damages caused by its operations, with work limited to normal business hours of 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Monthly reporting requirements mandate detailed documentation of all maintenance activities, including time, dates, locations, target species, herbicide types and amounts, personnel names, and site conditions. Specific bid values and budget ranges are not disclosed in the available solicitation documents; pricing will be evaluated based on line-item costs submitted for each of the 24 designated treatment areas, with additional herbicide treatments priced separately and excluded from the total bid amount used for award determination.