SUWANNEE RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 09/10-018LM NON-NATIVE, INVASIVE WEED CONTROL. Table of Contents

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1 SUWANNEE RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 09/10-018LM NON-NATIVE, INVASIVE WEED CONTROL Table of Contents Section Title Page 1 Introduction 2 2 Proposed Schedule 2 3 Instructions to Proposers 2 4 Key Points 3 5 Scope of Work 5 6 Proposal Response Form 10 Suwannee River Water Management District 9225 CR 49 Live Oak, FL (Fax) (Florida only) 1

2 SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION The Suwannee River Water Management District (District) is seeking proposals for treatment of terrestrial non-native, invasive weeds that are classified by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council as Categories I and II on District-owned lands. Proposals should be based on hourly rates. Treatment for the widely scattered and relatively small infestations will require either chemical or mechanical methods and shall follow recommendations outlined in Florida s Invasive Species Management Plan ( Most treatments will not require a full day to complete. The initial contract shall be for a period of one year with the potential for two subsequent one-year renewals based upon the mutual agreement of the District and the Contractor and no changes to the billing rates. SECTION 2 - PROPOSED SCHEDULE February 9, 2010 Release of Request for Proposal. March 2, 2010 Request for Proposals due prior to 11:00 a.m. at District Headquarters in Live Oak. Opening will occur at this time.* March 10, 2010 Selection Committee Meeting at 2:00 p.m., at SRWMD Headquarters in Live Oak.* April 13, 2010 Governing Board Approval of Top-Ranked Proposal at 9:00 a.m.* May 1, 2010 Anticipated start date. * Denotes a public meeting. All times denote Eastern Standard Time (EST). SECTION 3 - INSTRUCTION TO PROPOSERS 1. Delivery of Proposal: Proposers, also referred to as respondents, are required to complete and submit one (1) original and five (5) copies of the Proposal Response Form included in Section 6. Proposal forms shall be sent in one envelope to: Gwen Lord, Business Resource Specialist IV Suwannee River Water Management District 9225 County Road 49 Live Oak, Florida Phone:

3 2. All Proposal forms shall be submitted in sealed envelopes with the following clearly marked in large, bold and/or colored lettering. RFP No. 09/ LM Non-Native, Invasive Weed Control Bid Opening March 2, :00 a.m. Proposals delivered in an envelope not properly marked with the RFP number and opening date and time that are inadvertently opened by District personnel will not be considered. The Proposals shall be hand-delivered or mailed, preferably by registered mail. 3. Proposals are due at the above address by 11:00 a.m. on March 2, Proposals received after this time, for any reason, will be rejected. 4. Proposals must be hard copy. FAX transmittals will not be accepted. 5. Additional Information: Additional Proposal packages may be obtained by logging on to SECTION 4 KEY POINTS Challenge of Solicitation Process: If a potential respondent protests any provisions of this RFP, a notice of intent to protest shall be filed with the District in writing within 72 hours after the posting of the RFP on the District s website and the respondent shall file a formal written protest within ten (10) days after filing of notice of intent to protest. Any respondent who files a formal written protest pursuant to Chapter , Florida Administrative Code, and Section (3), Florida Statutes, shall post with the District at the time of filing the formal written protest, a bond pursuant to Section (2)(c), Florida Statutes (2008). Failure to file a notice of intent to protest or failure to file a formal written protest within the time prescribed in Chapter , Florida Administrative Code and Section (3), Florida Statutes, or failure to post the bond or other security required by law within the time allowed for filing a bond shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120, Florida Statutes. More specifically, Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed in Section (3), Florida Statutes, shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120 of Florida Statutes. Challenge of District s Intent to Award Contract: If a respondent intends to protest District s intent to award contract, the notice of intent to protest must be filed in 3

4 writing within 72 hours after posting of a notice of intent to award contract and the respondent shall file a formal written protest within ten (10) days after filing of notice of intent to protest. Any respondent who files a formal written protest pursuant to Chapter , Florida Administrative Code, and Section (3), Florida Statutes shall post with the District at the time of filing the formal written protest, a bond pursuant to Section (2)(c), Florida Statutes (2008). Failure to file a notice of intent to protest or failure to file a formal written protest within the time prescribed in Chapter , Florida Administrative Code and Section (3), Florida Statutes, or failure to post the bond or other security required by law within the time allowed for filing a bond shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120, Florida Statutes. More specifically, Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed in Section (3) Florida Statutes shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120 of Florida Statutes. Americans with Disabilities Act: The District does not discriminate upon the basis of any individual s disability status. This nondiscrimination policy involves every aspect of the District s functions including one s access to, participation, employment, or treatment in its programs or activities. Anyone requiring reasonable accommodation as provided for in the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact the District at (386) or (800) (Florida only). The District s fax number is (386) Minority Business Enterprises: The District recognizes fair and open competition as a basic tenet of public procurement. Respondents doing business with the District are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, handicap, age, or sex. The District encourages participation by minority business enterprises. Whenever two or more service providers are ranked equally, a minority business enterprise shall be given preference in the award process. Veteran s Preference: In the absence of minority business enterprise, whenever two or more service providers are ranked equally, a veteran-owned business enterprise shall be given preference in the award process. Drug Free Workplace Act: The selected respondent shall represent that it has established a drug free workplace. Public Entity Crime: Section (2)(a), Florida Statutes, states A person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction for a public entity crime may not submit a bid on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity, may not submit a bid on a contract with a public 4

5 entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit bids on leases of real property to a public entity, may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity, and may not transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided in s for CATEGORY TWO for a period of 36 months from the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list. Insurance Requirements: If awarded, respondent shall represent and guarantee that all employees, agents, servants or representatives of the respondent, and all employees, agents, servants, or representatives of subcontractors are covered by workers' compensation insurance. Prior to entering into contract with the District, respondent agrees to furnish the District certificates of insurance on all insurance, naming District as additional insured for items 2 and 3 below, providing evidence that respondent has in full force and effect the following minimum insurance with insurers authorized to do business in the State of Florida: 1) Workers' compensation insurance as required above; 2) Motor vehicular liability insurance with limits of not less than $300,000 combined single limit which insurance shall be applicable to any and all vehicles utilized by respondent to provide the services requested by District; 3) General liability insurance for all services rendered by respondent for the requested services with a minimum of $1,000,000 personal and advertising injury and $1,000,000 general aggregate. The certificate of insurance shall also provide that District shall be notified in writing by the carrier at least 30 days prior to any cancellation of said insurance. Rejection of Responses: Pursuant to Rule 40B-1.812, Florida Administrative Code, the District reserves the right to reject any and all proposals or other proposals submitted in response to District invitation. District also reserves the right to waive any minor deviations in an otherwise valid proposal. Renewal of Contract: The initial contract shall be for a period of one year with the potential for two subsequent one-year renewals based upon the mutual agreement of the District and the Contractor and no changes to the billing rates. SECTION 5 - SCOPE OF WORK The Suwannee River Water Management District is seeking proposals for chemical and mechanical control of terrestrial non-native, invasive weeds that are classified by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council as Categories I and II on 5

6 District-owned lands ( Invasive weeds may be found on several District tracts across north-central Florida in varying densities; however, the majority of infestations do not exceed 5 contiguous acres. Given the widely scattered and relatively small weed infestations, the District is requesting proposals for weed control based on hourly rates. Once the contract is awarded, the contractor will be given work assignments, maps to the infestations, and blank progress reports. All treatments will occur within District boundaries and will require either mechanical methods and/or chemical application to infestations. District staff normally follows mechanical and chemical control recommendations outlined in Florida s Invasive Species Management Plan. Control methods may include: Chemical: Mechanical: Mechanical & Chemical: Foliar spray Mowing Frill/Girdle and spray Tree or bamboo cutting Seed removal Cut stump Hack and squirt Contractor is expected to provide all labor and equipment needed for mechanical and chemical control of invasive weeds. The District will supply all the needed chemicals. Most of the infestations will not require a full day to complete, and the project manager will lump treatment areas together where possible to minimize travel time and create a full work day. Access to all sites is adequate; habitats range from upland forests to floodplain swamps. The District requires that all terrestrial weed infestations displayed on the Contractor s map are to be treated using a mutually agreed upon prescription between Contractor and Project Manager. This means that 100% of the infestation will be treated. A colored dye will be added to all chemical mixtures so Project Manager can inspect the extent of chemical applications. Applied chemical concentrations will be sufficient to kill at least 95% of all above ground biomass. Project Manager and Contractor will therefore mutually agree upon the chemical mixture and application rate before work begins. No chemical applications will exceed the labeled rates. All requirements, including state and/or local requirements, listed on the herbicide label are to be followed. Failure to comply with label instructions is a violation of federal and/or state laws. Contractor is liable for any penalty, fines, or damages resulting from misuse of herbicides. 6

7 Contractor is required to provide the District with the following upon request by the Project Manager: List of chemical herbicide trade names and the rates used to produce all chemical mixtures applied. This list should also include any adjuvants or surfactants included in the mixture. A SRWMD Chemical Control of Vegetation Form is required after completion of treatment on each individual infestation, local area, or workday depending on time spent at a particular area. This form will be provided to the Contractor with the maps. A spatially explicit location of the treatment area that delineates the extent of the entire application area. The control area may be represented as points, lines, or polygons, and must be stored and delivered as electronic data. Contractor may not bill for travel time or unused herbicides. Contractor may invoice the District after each treatment is completed. A Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Licensed Public Pesticide Applicator with a current license must be present during all chemical applications. Licensed applicators must have general standards (core) certification with further certification in the Forestry Pest Control or Natural Areas Weed Management categories. The licensed supervisor is responsible to ensure the following: Keep all chemical pesticides in original containers until mixing. All mixtures should have temporary labels that list the trade name and rates of chemicals and any adjuvants within the spray container. The licensed supervisor must readily have available during application copies of all chemical pesticides labels and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) that are being applied. During mixing and application all recommended Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be properly worn to minimize applicator exposure to chemicals. All measuring cups should be rinsed and the effluent poured into the tank/bottle mixture. Chemicals and any rinse material from chemical containers will be applied to specific areas; run-off of any chemical substance is not acceptable. Herbicides that are mixed, transferred, or temporarily stored while on District lands will be done so at designated staging areas. Any container that contains pesticide or pesticide residues will be removed from District lands once the chemical application is complete. 7

8 Herbicides will not be applied during adverse or non-optimal weather conditions for the application method. Any weather condition, including heat, wind, or precipitation, that minimizes the effectiveness of the herbicide or increases the exposure and/or potential for drift to non-target vegetation, personnel, or objects will not be tolerated. Place emphasis on ensuring the application will minimize exposure to people, facilities, and the surrounding environment. Avoid any non-target exposure. No invasive weed material is moved on or off District lands. All equipment and clothing may be inspected before the work crew is allowed to operate on District lands. Any invasive weed material collected while working on District lands must be washed off at a designated cleaning area unless otherwise specified by the Project Manager. 8

9 Section 6 Proposal Response Form RFP 09/10-018LM Non-native, Invasive Weed Control (Page 1 of 2) Proposers are required to complete and submit this form. One original and five (5) copies shall be delivered in one envelope as discussed in Section 3. PERSONNEL Licensed Supervisor Name DOACS License No. Supervisor rate $ Per hour Crew member $ Per hour EQUIPMENT (Does not included operator) Off-Road Vehicle cost $ per hour Small engine equipment (mowers, chainsaw, etc.) $ per hour Vehicle mounted spray tank $ per hour RECENT WORK HISTORY & REFERENCES from similar weed control work; if conducted on Water Management District or state of Florida lands, please include this information first. Dates Acreages Species Controlled Control Methods 9

10 Section 6 Proposal Response Form RFP 09/10-018LM Non-native, Invasive Weed Control (Page 2 of 2) Please list references and/or project managers from work history listed above. Name Affiliation Address/City/State/Zip Phone Number CONTRACTOR INFORMATION Company Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Phone Number: Fax Number: Name of Company Representative: Printed: Signature: Title: Date: 10