This is a service / maintenance or supply contract in Fairfield, Connecticut. Contact the soliciting agency for additional information.

REQUIREMENTS A. Any sizes or estimate of quantities as shown are approximate and are not guaranteed in any respect. The Town reserves the right at all times to increase or decrease the amount of work if deemed in its best interest. B. Price is to include all labor, materials, tools, equipment, mobilization, insurances, etc., required to properly supply these products. C. The Town of Fairfield reserves the right to award the bid with multiple items: to more than one bidder, based on meeting the item(s) specification, cost, availability, or any combination of these criteria; to a single bidder who meets the specifications for all items, and offers the best combination of lowest cost, best availability, and broadest product range; and may add, subtract or delete any item and/or quantity as deemed in the best interest of the Town. D. The Bidder must not discriminate, nor permit discrimination, against any person on the grounds of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, handicap, or veteran status, in their employment practices, in any of their contractual arrangements, in all service and accommodations they offer to the public, and in any of their other business operations. E. It is a national policy to provide minority and women's business enterprises (M and WBEs) the maximum opportunity to participate in activities carried out under public funding and to award a fair share of contracts to M and WBEs. F. Award of this purchase, either partial or in its entirety, is contingent upon funding approval by the applicable boards of the Town of Fairfield, including state and federal agencies. SPECIFICATIONS All trees shall be true to type or name as listed, with a minimum branch height of five feet (5'). The Tree Warden will measure branch height upon arrival and if height specifications are not met, reserves the right to reject the tree(s). All bid submissions shall include photographs of all trees bid. All trees must be conducive with roadside planting. Trees must be tagged from their growing origin individually or in groups, by species, and cultivar (variety). Substituting similar species, when specified trees are not available, may be allowed upon approval and inspection by the Town Tree Warden. Trees must be nursery field-grown by supplier from Zone 6, or hardier, and from the Northeastern Region or an agreed to alternate location by the Town Tree Warden. Bidders must specify in their proposal where the trees were grown. All trees shall be healthy, have a form typical for the species or cultivar, and be well-rooted and properly trained. Trees shall be handled and shipped with care. Trees with windburn, chafing, bruised or broken bark, poorly tied burlap, "soft" balls, etc., will be rejected. SPECIFICATIONS (continued) Root flair - shall be exposed upon receipt of the trees. The root ball of all tress shall be moist throughout. The crown shall show no signs of moisture stress. Trees should have been root pruned annually and dug before bud breaks. Size of the ball shall be a minimum of 24" in diameter. The Tree Warden reserves the right to inspect the roots by removing the soil from the trees shipped from each source. The trunk and the main roots shall be free of circling and kinked roots. Circling roots at the periphery of the root ball shall not be reason for rejecting a tree unless the circling roots are large for the species and shoot growth is not acceptable for the species. Digging the trees shall not sever any roots larger than one-half inch (1/2") diameter. Severed roots larger than one-half (1/2") diameter may be cause for rejection. No payment for shipping and/or handling shall be made for any rejected trees. The Town reserves the right to purchase additional trees and planting throughout the calendar year of the award at the unit prices under the base bid. Quantities may vary during this time. All trees shall comply with Federal and State laws requiring inspection for plant diseases and pest infestations. Trees should leaf out by Memorial Day. Trees not leafing out by this time will be rechecked July 1st, and if still not leafed out, the trees will be rejected. Rejected trees should be replaced in the fall of that growing season upon approval of the Tree Warden. Payment for these trees will be retained until the following spring. Payment for the trees that do not leaf out by July 1st will be withheld. Determination will be made a 50% canopy crown cover. A retainage of 5% for one (1) season will be held to cover the cost of replacement for any poor, dead, or undersized tree. Prices must include delivery, shipping, and handling. No exceptions. The Department of Public Works will be responsible for the planting of the trees. If the Town requires the purchase of more trees, price will be held for one (1) year. TRANSPORTATION Branches shall be tied in a manner that no damage will occur to bark or branches. During transportation of plant material, the nursery/Contractor shall exercise care to prevent injury and drying out of trees. Should the roots be dried out, large branches broken, ball of earth broken or loosened, or areas of bark torn, the Town Tree Warden shall reserve the right to reject said tree(s) and order them replaced at no additional cost to the Town. All loads of plants shall be covered with a tarpaulin or canvas at all times during transportation. Failure to protect loads in above manner will be rejected. All plant material, shipments, and deliveries shall comply with State and Federal laws, governing the inspection, shipping, selling, and handling of nursery/plant material. A certificate of inspection, or a copy thereof, for injurious insects, plant diseases, and other plant pests shall accompany each shipment or delivery of plant material. The certificate shall state the name and address of the source of the nursery stock/plant material. Questions concerning this bid must be submitted in writing and directed only to: Lee A. Flaherty, Junior Buyer lflaherty@fairfieldct.org Written requests for information will not be accepted after 11:00am on Wednesday, 17th, August 2022. Bid proposals are to be submitted in a sealed envelope and clearly marked on the outside "BID #2023-36" including all outer packaging such as DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc. All prices and notations must be printed in ink or typewritten. No erasures are permitted.