This is a service / maintenance or supply contract in Fort Myers, Florida. Contact the soliciting agency for additional information.

The City of Fort Myers (City) requests submittals from interested and qualified Respondents to provide mowing and weed and grass trimming services for lots throughout the city. Mandatory Minimum Qualifications The Respondent(s) shall hold a current license from the State of Florida as required for each discipline. Respondent(s) shall have been in business under the current company/firm name for a minimum of three (3) consecutive years Respondent shall have no record of judgments, bankruptcies, pending lawsuits against the City or criminal activities involving moral turpitude and not have any conflicts of interest that have not been waived by the City Council. Neither Respondent nor any principal, officer, or stockholder shall be in arrears or in default of any debt or contract involving the City, (as a party to a contract, or otherwise); nor have failed to perform faithfully on any previous contract with the City. To demonstrate qualifications to perform the Work, each Bidder must be prepared to submit within five (5) days of Owner's request written evidence, such as financial data, previous experience, present commitments and other such data as may be called for below (or in the Supplementary Instructions) Following the opening, Respondents that do not meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements as set forth in this solicitation will not be considered further. The awardee will be required to maintain the Minimum Qualification Requirements during the term of the Contract and any contract renewals. Direct inquiries to the following: Procurement Representative Name Kirk Zimmerman Senior Procurement Specialist 2200 Second Street Fort Myers, FL 33901 Email: kzimmerman@cityftmyers.com Phone: (239) 321-7241 Services will be performed based on lot mowing units as there are various lots within the City limits, which vary in size ranging from approximately 3,500 square feet to up to five (5) acres. The definition of a mowing unit is vacant, undeveloped property of up to 8,000 square feet in area, which is equivalent to a standard single lot (80' x 100'). The number of units charged for lots greater than 8,000 square feet and multiples thereof will be calculated by rounding down if the additional square footage is equal to or less than 3,999 square feet and rounding up if the additional square footage is equal to or greater than 4,000 square feet. Therefore, larger parcels shall be compensated by the number of units assigned to the parcel. The Contractor shall have the appropriate and sufficient equipment and staff to perform lot mowing and weed/grass trimming services, as stated within the context of this bid, prior to submitting a response. Contractor shall remove all equipment from the service area on a daily basis. Overnight parking of vehicles, trailers and equipment is prohibited. Mowing Specifications 1) The maximum mowing height is 4" and the minimum mowing height is 3". 2) Contractor will mow no farther than SIX INCHES (6") of any obstacle INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: Fire Hydrant Guy Wires Cable Pedestals Fences Real Estate Signs Trees & Bushes Sprinkler Heads Utility Pedestals 3) Contractor shall perform the work on the basis the property will be cut from the property line or seawall to the edge of the street and SHALL include right-of-ways, alleys, & easements. The Contractor shall take care in performing their services by not damaging anything. The Contractor shall be responsible for all costs associated with the repair and/or replacement of anything damaged by their operations. 4) Contractor shall not mow lots at excessive speeds or mow with worn blades, which results in visible deficiencies by the improper mowing of grass. 5) Contractor shall not blow or throw grass or debris into the canals, streets, sidewalks, or adjacent properties when performing services. Contractor shall remove all trimmings from roadways or other hard surfaces. 6) Frequency of Mowing: The number of times mowing is required shall be dependent upon climatic conditions and at the City's discretion. Several or all zones are such that they can be mowed in a single month. Some months may require two mows as a result of growth and climate conditions. The cycle and frequencies shall be determined by the City. Weed and Grass Trimming 1) Grass and Weed control is to be completed by mechanical means. In lieu of using a blade edger, the City will accept edging with a string weed trimmer if used properly. Contractor shall string trim: (a) Around all obstacles; and (b) Along all fences and seawalls; and (c) All other flat surfaces, including separations of surfaces where vegetation is growing through 2) Frequency of Grass and Weed Control: The number of times grass and weed control services will be required shall be dependent upon climatic conditions and obstacles on certain vacant lots and at the City's discretion. The maximum allowable height of plant materials is between four (4) and eight (8) inches. Some properties may require up to sixteen (16) services per year as a result of growth and climate. The cycle and frequency shall be determined by the City, and the contractor shall be given sufficient notice to accommodate scheduling any additional services. 3) The contractor shall be responsible for cleaning all roadway or hard surface areas of debris from weed eating and edging at the contractor's expense. 4) Contractor shall not blow or throw grass or debris into the canals, streets, sidewalks, or adjacent properties when performing services. 5) The maximum finished height is 4" and the minimum finished height is 3". 6) The contractor shall trim all areas around and up to the obstacles or if trimming is being performed after the lot has been mowed to the area not cut by the mowers. 7) The contractor shall perform the work on the basis that the property will be cut from the seawall or property line to the edge of the street and SHALL include right-of-ways. The Contractor shall take care in performing their services by not riding on or against seawalls. The Contractor shall be responsible for all costs associated with the repair and/or replacement of seawalls that are damaged by their operations. 8) In some cases, some lots will require little to no weed/grass trimming services. Bidders shall consider in their unit prices proposed they will be paid for weed/grass trimming services for the total number of program lots in the zone and NOT just the lots that were serviced. Award of Contract Purchase Order The purchase order provided by the City, to the selected Respondent within the time for acceptance specified, results in a binding contract without further action by either party. The contract shall consist of this Solicitation and any addenda thereto, the Respondent's submittal, and established purchase order. If a contract is established, this will also become an official part of the contract. The contract shall be governed by Lee County, Florida and interpreted, construed, and given effect in all respects according to the laws of the State of Florida. Formal Award Contracts shall be awarded in accordance with the provisions of the City's Procurement Code, Chapter 23, Article 3 of the City of Fort Myers's Code of Ordinances. For Invitations to Bid, if none of the above apply, A contract will be awarded to the responsive and responsible Respondent with the lowest overall cost, including any alternates, if applicable. Multiple Awards. The City reserves the right, in its sole discretion, after evaluation of all responsive submittals, to award the work described herein to more than one responsive and responsible Respondent. In such cases where an award is made to more than one responsive and responsible Respondent, the City shall apportion the work among the various providers in such manner and at such time as it deems appropriate under the circumstances in its sole discretion and no minimum amount or proportion of work is guaranteed to any single provider or class of providers. Term The City intends to negotiate a contract for an initial term with the option to renew upon mutual consent of both parties. The length of the contract will be contingent upon the Respondent's submittal and financial investment and shall be negotiated between the City and the successful Respondent. Indemnification The Respondent shall indemnify, hold harmless, and defend the City, and their respective City Council, Mayor, City Manager, their agents and employees, and anyone directly or indirectly employed by either of them, from and against any and all liabilities, losses, claims, damages, demands, expenses, or actions, either at law or in equity, including court costs and attorney's fees, that may hereafter at any time by made or brought by anyone on account of personal injury, property damage, loss of monies, or other loss, allegedly caused or incurred, in whole or in part, as a result of any negligent, wrongful, or intentional act or omission, or based on any action of fraud or defalcation by the Respondent, or anyone performing any act required of the Respondent in connection with performance of any contract awarded pursuant to this Solicitation. The Respondent shall indemnify and hold harmless, and defend the City, and their respective City Council, Mayor, City Manager, their agents and employees, and anyone directly or indirectly employed by either of them, from and against all liabilities, damages, claims, demands, or actions at law or in equity, including court costs and attorneys' fees that may hereafter at any time be made or be brought by anyone arising out of any infringement of patent rights or copyrights held by others or for the disclosure or improper utilization of any trade secrets by the Respondent during or after completion of the Work. These obligations shall survive acceptance of any goods, services, and/or performance and payment therefore by the City. Hold Harmless Contract The Respondent shall Hold Harmless the City, its directors, employees and assigns, from any and all claims, suits, actions, damages, liability and expenses in connection with loss of life, bodily or personal injury or property damage, including loss of use thereof, directly or indirectly caused by, resulting from, arising out of, or occurring in connection with the performance of this contract. The Respondent's obligation shall not be limited by, or in any way to, any insurance coverage or by any provision in or exclusion of omission from any policy of insurance. Employment Eligibility: E-Verify System: This Contract is subject to the terms, conditions, provisions and requirements of Section 448.095 of the Florida Statutes which is incorporated herein by this reference. Pursuant to Section 448.095 of the Florida Statutes, Contractor represents and warrants that it has registered with and uses the E-Verify System to verify the work authorization status of all newly hired employees and shall continue to do so at all times during the term of the Contract. If Contractor enters into a contract with a subcontractor, the subcontractor must provide the Contractor with an affidavit stating that the subcontractor does not employ, contract with, or subcontract with an unauthorized alien. A copy of the Contractor's E-Verify MOU must be on file with the City before any work commences. Reserved Rights The City has the right to request additional information, after the closing date, from the Respondent including but not limited to, information it deems necessary to evaluate, clarify, or substantiate any area contained in each submittal and to more fully meet the needs of the City. This includes information which indicates financial resources as well as ability to provide and maintain the system and/or services. Moreover, the City reserves the right to make investigations of the qualifications of the Respondent as it deems appropriate, including but not limited to, a background investigation conducted by the Fort Myers Police Department. City reserves the right to make award(s) by individual items, group of items, all or none, or a combination thereof, with one or more suppliers; to reject any or all submittals or waive any informality or technicality in submittals received. City reserves the right to reject any and all Solicitations, to waive any and all informalities and to negotiate contract terms with the Successful Respondent, and the right to disregard all nonconforming, non-responsive, unbalanced or conditional responses. Also, City reserves the right to reject the submission of any Respondent if City believes that it would not be in the best interest of the City to make an award to that Respondent, whether the Solicitation is not responsive, or the Respondent is unqualified or of doubtful financial ability or fails to meet any other pertinent standard or criteria established by City. All non-construction related submittals will be opened privately and results posted in accordance with F.S.119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. Question Deadline 07/30/2024 at 4:00 PM ET Direct inquiries to the following: Procurement Representative Name Kirk Zimmerman Senior Procurement Specialist 2200 Second Street Fort Myers, FL 33901 Email: kzimmerman@cityftmyers.com Phone: (239) 321-7241. All questions about the meaning or intent of the solicitation document are to be submitted through electronically. Only questions received prior to the date and time specified in the timeline will be considered. Only questions answered by formal written Addenda will be binding. Oral and other interpretations or clarifications will be without legal effect. All interpretations made to the Respondent shall be made in the form of addenda to the submittal documents and posted electronically. Addenda may also be issued to modify the Solicitation Documents as required by the City. Proposed City Council Approval Date:September 2, 2024 Project has been cancelled.