Valve Boxes

The City of Madison, Wisconsin, through its Purchasing Services and Madison Water Utility, issued Request for Quotation (RFQ #4924-0-2020-BG) for procuring valve boxes and related infrastructure components. The procurement specifically seeks 200 complete two-piece valve boxes, 100 valve box bases, valve box extensions in multiple sizes (10 units each of 12" and 18", and 40 units of 24"), 100 valve box lids, and 150 Rite-Hite adaptors. All materials must be tar-coated cast iron three-piece screw-type valve boxes conforming to Bingham and Taylor specifications, with specific requirements including size "DD" configuration, 50" to 70" range, 5" shaft, and "WATER"-marked Stay-Put style covers. Key procurement dates include a questions deadline of April 22, 2020, with answers provided by April 27, 2020, and quotation submissions due April 29, 2020, at 1:00 PM Central Standard Time. The City will evaluate bids based on total cost of quantified items, with additional consideration given to quality, workmanship, compatibility, warranty, delivery capabilities, past performance, and service reputation. Delivery requirements mandate shipment to Madison Water Utility at 110 S. Paterson Street, with 24-hour advance notice and packaging suitable for overhead crane unloading.

The solicitation includes a local vendor preference policy that provides scoring advantages to registered local suppliers as of the bid due date. In this specific procurement, First Supply was identified as the local vendor and was awarded the contract, with their total bid of $59,001.10 ultimately reduced to $58,411.09 due to local preference provisions. The City reserved the right to reject materials not meeting specifications and to purchase alternative materials on the open market if delivery commitments are not met. Bidders were required to indicate delivery timelines and specify whether quoted prices would remain firm for one year or propose an alternative pricing period. The procurement allowed for quote-only submissions on valve box top castings with zero committed quantity. Competitive bidding was demonstrated by two suppliers (Core & Main and First Supply) submitting proposals with nearly identical manufacturer specifications, resulting in a competitive price differential of approximately $1,238.50 between the two bids.