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

The Department of Public Works Roads Division seeks competitive bid pricing for the County's roadside sign maintenance program and includes, but not limited to, sign blanks, posts, and other roadside sign and safety items. Question Submission Deadline: March 19, 2025, 3:00pm All questions shall be asked using the question & answer feature via electronically. There is no pre-bid meeting for this solicitation. The Contract may be awarded to the lowest responsible, responsive bidder. Cecil County, Maryland reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive technicalities. All contract awards are based upon budgetary constraints. The County is not responsible for information obtained from sources outside the Cecil County Purchasing Office, including downloads from the County website. Vendors are directly responsible for obtaining updates, changes, or addendums either from the updated webpage or by contacting the Purchasing Office. 7.6. DESCRIPTIVE LITERATURE The proposed descriptive literature fully describing the product bid is what is intended to be included as the price. Failure to do so may be cause for rejection of the bid. Any items, systems or devices supplied in this bid that are proprietary in nature relative to maintenance, repair, servicing or updating must be disclosed on the bid form. 7.7. EXCEPTIONS/SUBSTITUTIONS Any exceptions or substitutions to the specifications requested should be marked on the bid form and listed on a separate sheet of paper attached to the bid. An exception to the specifications may not necessarily disqualify the bid. The County will determine if the exception is an essential deviation or a minor item. In the case of a minor deviation, the County maintains the option to award to that bidder if it determines the performance is not adversely affected by the exception. 7.8. APPROVED EQUALS In all specifications where a material or article is defined by describing a proprietary product or by using the name of a vendor or manufacturer, it can be assumed that an approved equal can be substituted. The use of a named product is an attempt to set a particular standard of quality and type that is familiar to the County. Such references are not intended to be restrictive. However, the County shall decide if a product does in fact meet or exceed the quality of the specifications listed in the solicitation. It shall be the responsibility of the vendor that claims a product is equal to provide documentation to support such a claim. 7.9. PRICES Bid prices shall remain firm for one hundred eighty (180) days from the date of the bid opening. All contracts and/or quantities are contingent on budgetary constraints. Pricing must include all labor, delivery, materials, tools, and equipment to perform work. 7.10. PRICE ESCALATION All unit prices offered herein shall be firm against any increase for one (1) year from the effective date of the contract. For each option year, the County may entertain a request for escalation in accordance with the current Consumer Price Index at the time of the request or up to a maximum 3% increase on the current pricing, whichever is lower. For purposes of this section, "Consumer Price Index" shall mean the Consumer Price Index-All Urban Consumers-United States Average-All Items (CPI-U), as published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. The County reserves the right to accept or reject the request for a price increase within fourteen (14) days. If the price increase is approved, the price will remain firm for twelve (12) months. All other terms, conditions and specifications will remain the same. The increased contract price shall not apply to orders received by the contractor prior to the effective date of the approved increased contract unit price. Orders placed via purchase order, shall be considered to have been received by the contractor after the fifth (5th) calendar day following the date of issuance. The Procurement Officer may cancel, without liability to either party, any portion of the contract affected by the requested increase and any materials, supplies or services undelivered at the time of such cancellation. Invoices reflecting "NEW" prices will not be processed for deliveries of goods received prior to the increase approval date. Price decreases shall also be passed on to the County and do not require verification. Decreases become effective immediately upon notification. 7.11. COOPERATIVE PURCHASE The County reserves the right to extend all the terms, conditions, specifications, and unit or other prices of any contract resulting from this bid to any and all public bodies, subdivisions, school districts, community colleges, colleges, universities including non-public schools. This is conditioned upon mutual agreement of all parties pursuant to special requirements which may be appended thereto. The supplier/contractor agrees to notify the issuing body of those entities that wish to use any contract resulting from this bid and will also provide usage information, which may be requested. The County assumes no authority, liability, or obligation, on behalf of any other public or non-public entity that may use any contract resulting from this bid. All purchases and payment transactions will be made directly between the contractor and the requesting entity. Any exceptions to this requirement must be specifically noted in the bid response. 7.12. SALES TAX In buying products directly from a vendor Cecil County, Maryland is exempt from being directly charged Federal excise and Maryland sales tax. A copy of an exemption certificate shall be furnished upon request. According to the Office of the Comptroller of Maryland, a Contractor is responsible for paying sales tax on purchases relating to any projects or services and should incorporate it into their bid. Contractors cannot use the County tax exemption to buy materials or products used on County projects. For additional information, see State of Maryland Sales and Use Tax in #Attachments section. 7.13. TRANSPORTATION Prices quoted shall be net, including transportation and delivery charges fully pre-paid by the seller, f.o.b. destination (PROJECT SITE) unless otherwise stated in the specifications or bid form. No additional charges will be allowed for packing, packages, or partial delivery costs. By submitting their quote, all vendors certify and warrant that the price offered for f.o.b. destination includes only the actual freight rate cost at the lowest and best rate and is based upon the actual weight of the goods to be shipped. Standard commercial packaging, packing, and shipping containers will be used, except as otherwise specified herein. 7.14. APPROXIMATE QUANTITIES The Bidder's attention is called to the fact that the quantities given are estimated quantities and are intended as a guide to the bidder, but in no way bind or limit the County to the actual amount of work to be performed or the quantity of material to be furnished. Any estimates of quantities herein furnished by the County are approximations only and have been used by the County as a basis for estimating the cost of the work and will also be used for the purpose of tabulating and comparing the bids and awarding the Contract. The County has endeavored to estimate these quantities correctly according to the information shown on the plans, but it is not guaranteed that these estimated quantities are accurate and, if the Contractor in developing and/or submitting a bid relies upon the accuracy of said estimated quantities, the Bidder does so at their own risk. Cecil County, Maryland reserves the right to add or delete locations to the contract. 7.15. ALTERATIONS The County reserves the right to change the alignment, grade, form, length, dimensions, or materials of the work under the Contract whenever any conditions or obstructions are met that render such changes desirable or necessary. In the event, such alterations make the work less expensive to the Contractor, a proper deduction shall be made from the Contract prices and the Contractor shall have no claim on this account for damages or for anticipated profits on the work that may be dispensed with. In the event, such alterations make the work more expensive, a proper addition shall be made to the Contract prices. Any such deduction or addition shall be determined by the County, which shall remain the final authority in such determination. 7.16. PERSONAL LIABILITY OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS In carrying out any of the provisions of this Contract or in exercising any power of authority granted to him thereby, there shall be no personal liability upon the County, or his authorized agent being understood that in such matters he acts as the agent or representative of the County.