Turf Grass Maintenance - Fire , Parking , Utility Plants

General Information/Intent The successful Contractor shall furnish all labor, management, supervision, trucks, tractors, mowers, edging equipment, gas, oil, safety equipment, hand trimmers, Personal Protection Equipment, Temporary Traffic Control, and any other equipment necessary for vegetation mowing, weeding, trimming, debris pickup, and any other function that may be required to properly maintain the areas of responsibility. A list of all equipment available to complete the services of this contract should be included with the submission to this Invitation to Bid (ITB). 3.2 Contractor Responsibilities A. HORTICULTURIST. Contractor shall provide a minimum of one (1) full-time staff person certified through Florida Nurserymen, Growers & Landscape Association (FNGLA) as a Florida Certified Horticultural Professional. At the time of bid submission, the Contractor shall provide a copy of a valid FNGLA FCHP certificate(s) and identify how the licensed person(s) operates within Company. B. PESTICIDE APPLICATOR. Contractor shall provide a minimum of one (1) full-time staff person certified and licensed through Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) as a Certified Pesticide Applicator in Ornamental & Turf categories. At the time of bid submission, the Contractor shall provide copies of valid FDACS licenses for ornamental & turf and identify how the licensed person(s) operates within Company. C. GI-BMP. The Contractor shall provide a minimum of one (1) full-time staff person certified by FDACS with a Limited Certification in Green Industries Best Management Practices (GI-BMP). At the time of bid submission, the Contractor shall provide copies of valid GI-BMP Certificates. D. The Contractor shall notify the Contract Coordinator in the event of scheduling delays, changes, or comments/complaints received from the public. E. The Contractor shall provide sufficient employees to perform safe, thorough and expeditious work. F. The Contractor shall provide employees who present a neat, clean, well groomed, appearance and shall conduct themselves in a respectable manner while performing the duties of the contract and while on City property. G. The City may request the Contractor to remove any employee if it is determined that services are not being performed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract. H. In accordance with Section 17-7.7 of the City of Fort Lauderdale Code of Ordinances, all work shall be performed no earlier than 7 a.m. and no later than 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Exceptions to this schedule can only be made with the prior approval of the Contract Coordinator. I. The Contractor shall have a qualified foreman to supervise each crew. As a fully authorized agent of the Contractor, the foreman must be capable of making on-site decisions to perform the work in accordance with the specifications contained in this proposal. J. The Contactor management or supervisory personnel must be made available by phone during working hours (as identified in Section 3.2.H). The Contractor shall provide the Contract Coordinator with a list of all supervisory personnel assigned to the contract. The list shall include the first and last names, direct company telephone number, direct company mobile telephone number, and direct company email address for supervisory personnel who are assigned to the contract. The Contractor shall be responsible for keeping this list up to date during the contracts term. K. The Contractor shall plainly identify all vehicles with the Contractors company name and all required business markings. The Contractor shall plainly identify all materials and equipment. L. The Contractor shall not leave any vehicles, materials, or equipment on site after working hours or overnight unless prior arrangements and written approval has been obtained from the Contract Coordinator. M. The Contractor shall provide and correctly implement all Temporary Traffic Controls (maintenance of traffic) on streets located in the City, in accordance with FDOT requirements. N. The Contractor shall maintain all equipment in safe operating condition and in accordance with manufacturer specifications. The Contractor shall only use sharp blades to ensure clean cut on all plant material. O. The Contractor shall be responsible for any loss of materials or equipment due to accidents, misuse, theft, vandalism, etc. Such losses shall be replaced or repaired by the Contractor with no additional charges to the City of Fort Lauderdale. P. The Contractor shall repair or replace, at their own expense, any City property damaged by the Contractor. This shall include, but is not limited to trees, palms, turf grass, plant material, lighting, signs, pavers, hardscape, etc. Q. The Contractor shall be responsible for all damage to irrigation parts. When an irrigation break occurs: 1. The Contractor shall shut off water source. 2. The Contractor shall notify the Contract Coordinator immediately. 3. The Contractor shall make repair within twenty-four hours of damage. 4. The Contractor shall contact the Contract Coordinator once repairs are completed. 5. The Contract Coordinator shall verify that repairs are acceptable. 6. If not acceptable, the City will repair and invoice the Contractor. 3.3 Scope of Work A. The Contractor shall remove all litter and debris prior to each service, and shall not mow, trim, or edge over litter and debris. This includes, but is not limited to, leaves, dead leaves, paper, litter, blow trash, cigarette butts, fruit, berries, traffic debris, rocks, stones, etc. All clippings, trimming, branches, fronds, etc. from service shall be removed upon completion of that days service. The Contractor shall be responsible for proper disposal of all such litter, debris, clippings, trimmings, branches, fonds, etc. Litter, debris, clippings, trimmings, branches, fronds, etc. shall not be deposited into City trash receptacles or dumpsters. The Contractor shall rinse, rake, sweep, and/or blow all surfaces to leave each site in a safe, clean, and aesthetically pleasing condition prior to moving to next site. B. In accordance with City Ordinance #24-7, no grass, weeds, trash, debris, etc. shall be blown into the streets or gutters. Grass and clippings must be blown back onto the cut surface. C. The Contractor shall remove any snipe signs, bulletins of a temporary nature, and advertising items such as open houses, garage sales, lost pets, sale notices, political elections, etc., located on City property and rights-of-way adjacent to service site. These signs, bulletins, and items, including their attachment method, must be removed and properly disposed of with each service. The Contractor is responsible for their disposal and shall not be deposit the materials into City trash receptacles or dumpsters. D. The Contractor shall be responsible for all dumped building debris, yard waste, palm fronds and tree branches, bulk trash, or storm damage including, but not limited to, furniture, mattresses, construction debris, palm fronds, tree branches, and miscellaneous refuse for volumes of three (3) cubic yards and less. For volumes more than three (3) cubic yards: 1. The Contractor shall notify the Contract Coordinator of any dumped building debris, yard waste, bulk trash, or storm damage including, but not limited to, furniture, mattresses, construction debris, and miscellaneous refuse for three (3) cubic yards and more before starting work in that area. 2. The Contractor shall take photos of such material, time and date stamp the photos, provide location of material, and email to the Contract Coordinator. 3. The Contract Coordinator shall provide authorization to Contractor, and then Contractor shall remove and dispose of such debris utilizing the additional services trash removal rate quoted. E. The Contractor shall mow turf grass areas to a height of no less than three (3) inches and no more than four (4) inches with every service. The turf grass areas included are within the property lines and within the right-of-way swale areas adjacent to site. Uncut or uneven sections of turf are unacceptable. Mowing shall be done carefully so as not to damage tree bark, tree supports, adjacent shrubs; mowing paths shall not intrude into ground cover beds, damage sodded berms, curbs, etc. within or adjacent to the maintenance area. Mowing shall not be done when weather or conditions will result in damage to turf or uneven turf. Contractor will be responsible for the replacement of damaged trees, tree supports, plant material, hardscape, structures, curbs, etc. as determined by Contract Coordinator or designee. F. The Contractor shall only mow berms with a small trim mower or a line trimmer using rotary nylon. Berms will be mowed to a height of not less than three (3) inches and not more than four (4) inches with every service. G. The Contractor shall edge using blade along walks, pavements, utility boxes, curbs, roadways, trees, palms, shrubs, hedges, and beds to maintain a vertical edge with every service. This edging shall be a minimum depth of one (1) inch, adjacent to walks, pavements, utility boxes, curbs, roadways, and a minimum of twelve (12) inches from tree trunks, palm trunks, and the dripline of plant material. The encroaching growth cut with the edger shall be removed with every service. Edging shall be done during or as an immediate operation following the mowing for every service. H. The Contractor shall edge using blade around trees and palms to maintain a minimum clearance of twelve (12) inches between trunk and plant growth with every service. The encroaching growth shall be removed with every service. I. The Contractor shall line trim using rotary nylon to remove overgrowth not less than three (3) inches or more than four (4) inches around the perimeter of all obstructions such as signs, posts, structures, test wells, fences, poles, trees, palms, walls, slabs, etc. with every service. Line trimming shall be done during or as an immediate operation following the mowing for every service. Line trimming shall not be performed against the base of trees, palms, or plants. J. The Contractor shall line trim using rotary nylon to remove overgrowth not less than three (3) inches or more than four (4) inches around sprinkler heads and shall edge using blade to a minimum depth of one (1) inch around irrigation boxes with every service. The encroaching growth shall be removed. K. The Contractor shall prune water sprouts from the base of trees. The contractor shall maintain a minimum of eight (8) feet of clearance from grade with every service. The pruning of water sprouts shall be done manually using hand pruners or a hand saw and shall be performed in accordance with ANSI A-300 standards. L. The Contractor shall remove with every service, dead fronds from palms where the boot of the frond is reachable from standing at grade. The contractor shall also provide a minimum of eight (8) feet of clearance from grade. The removal of dead palm fronds shall be done manually using a hand pruner, hand saw, or manual pole saw and shall be performed in accordance with ANSI A-300 standards. M. The Contractor shall shear hedges according to the schedule unless directed otherwise by the Contract Coordinator. Each hedge service shall include shearing with mechanical hedge shears to remove a portion of the current seasons growth to create a dense, level, even, and consistent appearance. Hedges shall be sheared so the top is narrower than the base (see Exhibit A, Figure 1) with every service. N. Every hedge service shall include manual removal of all trash, debris, vines, weeds, volunteer seedlings, unwanted and/or unintended plant material, etc. from hedge. All hedges, unless directed otherwise by Contract Coordinator, shall be maintained at the maximum height required by FDOT sight datum. All clippings from hedge shearing shall be removed and disposed of properly by Contractor with every service. The City reserves the right to instruct the Contractor to shear hedges at a different height than originally established. The Contractor must obtain written permission from Contract Coordinator to apply growth retardant. O. The Contractor shall maintain all specified areas for weed control with each service. Weed control is required in all planting beds, around trees and palms, in all planting areas devoid of plant materials, within cracks/seams/joints of sidewalks, curbs, pavement, and areas of hardscape, etc. Weed control includes, but is not limited to, the manual removal of all weeds, invasive species, and unwanted turf, in planting beds and around trees and palms, the manual removal of invasive species and foreign growth in planting beds and around trees and palms, the manual removal of adventitious seedlings using hand pruner, hand saw, or mechanical saw, the mechanical removal of weeds using rotary nylon line trimmer in cracks/seams/joints of sidewalks, curbs, pavers, pavement, and hardscape, etc. The Contractor must obtain written permission from Contract Coordinator to apply liquid herbicide. P. The Contractor shall apply fertilizer to all trees, palms, turf, and planting bed areas in the month of April and October of each calendar year at the listed locations included in contract. The fertilizer shall first be proposed by Contractor and subsequently obtain written approval from Contract Coordinator prior to application. Fertilizer shall be 15-0-15 ratio at the recommended rate per 1000 square feet of application for trees, turf, and planting bed areas. Fertilizer shall be 4-1-6-2Mg ratio at the recommended rate for palms. Q. The Contractor shall apply mulch to all trees, palms, and planting bed areas in the month of May and November of each calendar year at the listed locations included in contract. Mulch material shall be organic, installed at a minimum of two (2) inch depth, and shall be manually removed from against the trunk of trees and palms and from the stem base of plants in bed areas (see Exhibit A, Figure 2). The mulch material shall first be proposed by Contractor and subsequently obtain written approval from Contract Coordinator prior to application.