SLED Opportunity · SOUTH CAROLINA · CITY OF COLUMBIA, SC
AI Summary
City of Columbia, SC seeks bids for sanitary sewer easement maintenance including vegetation management, mechanical clearing, and herbicide application. Contract runs through June 2027 with optional renewals.
ALL QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS SOLICITATION MUST BE SUBMITTED IN IONWAVE AS OUTLINED IN THE SOLICITATION PLEASE CONTACT THE PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT DIRECTLY FOR ANY TECHNICAL QUESTIONS RELATED TO IONWAVE --- Q&A --- Q1: During the pre-bid it was stated that some wet areas would potentially require mats for access but that there would be no difference in the unit costs. It was also stated that these locations would be rare but depending on the actual conditions of the wet areas and the extent, there could be significant additional effort required to complete work there. Attempting to capture these additional costs in a unit price that does not apply to the majority of the locations could skew the unit numbers. Could these areas be handled separately on a case-by-case basis or mutually agreed upon based on easement assessments? A1: No, additional line items will not be added to differentiate between mats / no mats. Over the last few years an estimated 10-15% of mechanical clearing has required mats. Since much of the clearing is assigned on an as-needed basis by the City inspectors or project manager, wet areas are frequently monitored to wait for a lower water level or for removal of beaver dams. Mats are historically only used when absolutely necessary. Submitted: 6/12/2026 10:47:54 AM (ET) Q2: Is the contract for one physical year or longer? Should we bid the solicitation for it to be extended? A2: The contract is based around the city's fiscal year and shall end on June 30th 2027 with optional 1-year renewals for a total of 4 fiscal years (using all three renewals would have an ending date of June 30th 2030). See Project Manual 2. Scope 2.3. Submitted: 6/11/2026 02:08:32 PM (ET) Q3: Will you provide a map with more information on exactly where the SS easements run? A3: Yes, contractor will have access to complete GIS data as well as specific areas for repeating, scheduled easement clearing on an annual basis. Any other one-off areas (with asset numbers and/or maps) will be given on an as-needed basis. Contractor should expect weekly, if not daily, interaction with City Inspectors and Project Manager. See Addendum 3. Submitted: 6/10/2026 12:32:12 PM (ET) Q4: What will be the total acres sprayed VS cutting? Or will herbicide just be sprayed around structures? A4: Difficult to answer succinctly. Spraying is NOT limited to areas around structures. The entire easement area from manhole to manhole will generally be sprayed. Quantities on the sample bid form are based on the heavy emphases on shinn cutting over the last couple of years. With 6.6 million square feet of heavy clearing across the last two years, the assumption is that while there will be plenty more in the coming fiscal year (estimated 1.25m SF) there will be quite a bit more bush hogging work (estimated 5m SF) now that those areas have been cleared with heavy equipment and are more accessible. Accordingly, the estimated 4m SF of herbicide application is based on the assumption that while not ALL of the bush hogged areas will need to be sprayed, the majority should be. Submitted: 6/10/2026 12:30:32 PM (ET) Q5: Is there a cap for the bid amount? A5: See Addendum 1. Submitted: 6/3/2026 02:53:50 PM (ET)
SLED stands for State, Local, and Education. These are solicitations issued by state governments, counties, cities, school districts, utilities, and higher education institutions — as opposed to federal agencies.
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