Grassy Creek Park Mowing and Trash Pickup

The City of Indianapolis and Marion County by and through the Purchasing Division Department is seeking Bids for Grassy Creek Park Mowing and Trash Pickup. Bids are due not later than 10:00 am on Thursday, April 23, 2026.

Background

Project Details

• Reference ID: RFB-14DPW-1777
• Department: Purchasing Division
• Department Head: David Condon (Administrator)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-04-08T16:00:00.000Z
• Pre-Proposal Meeting: 2026-04-01T14:30:00.000Z — Grassy Creek Park Center: 3510 N German Church Road, Indianapolis, IN 46235

Addenda

• Addendum #1 (released 2026-04-08T14:52:54.279Z) —

  Q and A Addendum

Evaluation Criteria

• General Description for Outright Purchase —
  1. Vendors are invited to bid unit prices on the outright purchase for Grassy Creek Park Mowing and Trash Pickup to be furnished and delivered to Department of Public Works in Marion County, IN.  Other departments and agencies of the City may also utilize this contract.
  2. A Pre-bid Conference will be held on Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at 10:30 am Eastern Time at Grassy Creek Park Center: 3510 N German Church Road, Indianapolis, IN 46235. Vendors will be given the opportunity to ask questions, receive clarification, or simply obtain a greater understanding of the bid prior to submission. It is highly recommended that vendors attend this conference. 
  3. NOTE:  Any related addenda to this bid, including written answers to questions, will be posted on the Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/indy. Vendors will be responsible for periodically checking the Procurement Portal for any related addenda up to and including the due date. Vendors must acknowledge addenda with their bid.  Failure to acknowledge the addenda may cause a bid to be determined as non- responsive for review purposes.
• Timeline —

  Release Project Date:	March 20, 2026
  Pre-Bid Meeting (Non-Mandatory):	April 1, 2026, 10:30am Grassy Creek Park Center: 3510 N German Church Road, Indianapolis, IN 46235
  Question Submission Deadline:	April 8, 2026, 12:00pm
  Response Submission Deadline:	April 23, 2026, 10:00am

   

• Immediate Cause for Rejection of Bids —
  1. Failure to comply with all instructions or to sign all necessary forms listed in the bid submissions.
  2. Failure to submit a bid surety completely and correctly executed at the time of bid submission in the correct amount (if required).
  3. Failure to correctly and completely execute the non-collusion affidavit.
  4. Failure to comply with any other mandatory bid requirements.
• GENERAL —
  1. 1. GENERAL
        1. CONTRACTOR shall provide all labor, materials, and equipment for the work to be performed under this Agreement, which shall consist of mowing, trimming, and trash removal in the areas designated in the four maps at the end of the Scope of Services.

   

  2. 2. 2. The number of cycles listed in the Price Sheet represents an estimate only, and no minimum or maximum amount of work is guaranteed.  The City, at its sole discretion, may eliminate scheduled services for areas designated in the Inventory or may add areas to the Inventory on a “cost per cycle” basis.  The number of cycles may be increased or decreased due to weather/seasonal conditions or other factors that cannot be forecast.

   

  3. 3. 3. CONTRACTOR shall perform all mowing services Monday through Friday (Weekends OK if approved in writing), from thirty (30) minutes after sunrise to thirty (30) minutes before sunset, unless otherwise agreed upon by City in writing. When CITY holidays fall on a Friday, properties must be completed by Wednesday of that week.  CONTRACTOR shall have the ability to complete all properties in three days without duress.

   

  4. 4. 4. CONTRACTOR shall honor requests by City to mow or not to mow on a particular date due to large community events within the park, City agrees to limit these restrictions as much as possible and provide CONTRACTOR with advanced notification.

   

  5. 5. 5. CONTRACTOR shall perform services under this Agreement without interruption except as provided herein. If CONTRACTOR believes that services cannot be performed due to inclement weather, wet ground, or declared KNOzone Action Days, CONTRACTOR shall notify City for verification that performance may be excused for the day (this is not meant to imply that the City will pay for services not rendered). The decision of the City shall be final. CONTRACTOR will not be held liable for turf and rut damage caused by CONTRACTOR'S equipment on wet or soggy ground when CONTRACTOR is working at the City's discretion.

   

  NOTE:  Park activity is not accepted as a reason for service incomplete.  Each CONTRACTOR must determine the optimal time to mow and still stay clear of patrons using the property.

   

  6. 6. 6. CONTRACTOR shall notify City by 8:30 am on the first business day following completion of services for a designated area.  CONTRACTOR shall report completed properties to designated DPW Manager (via City provided Vendor Compliance Form or, if applicable, onto the City’s Web Database.

   

  7. 7. 7. CONTRACTORS are required to adhere to the guidelines of “KNOzone Actions Days” which the City periodically declares during the summer months.  The City will notify the vendor via electronic mail or phone of “KNOzone Action Days.”  No mowing will be permitted on KnoZone Action Days.  CONTRACTOR is expected to approach KnoZone Action Days strategically-by being prepared to mow properties before and after said days to ensure all services are provided in the respective week.

   

  8. 8. 8. All RED ZONE and BLUE ZONE properties shall be mowed weekly for twenty-four (24) weeks.  Trash will be picked up seven days a week for twenty-four (24) cycles in the RED ZONE and BLUE ZONE.  The YELLOW ZONE shall be mowed every two weeks. 

   

  9. 9. 9. CONTRACTOR shall be ready to proceed with mowing services within five (5) days after receipt of the written Notice to Proceed.

   

  10. 10. 10. CONTRACTOR shall, upon City request, be available between the hours of 8 am - 3 pm, within 2 business days, at City offices, to discuss performance, contractual and/or other related issues.

   

  11. 11. 11. CONTRACTOR shall respond to any/all communication within four hours.

   

  12. 12. 12. Weekly mowing days shall remain reasonably consistent.  No property shall be mowed before the previous cut has been inspected, or with less than a two-business day interval.

   

  13. 13. 13. CONTRACTOR shall be permitted to use subcontractors of their own choice with City approval.  CONTRACTOR shall notify the City which properties subcontractors are servicing and when. No subcontractors shall be used that are on the City’s Service Exclusion list (aka Blacklist).

   

  14. 14. 14. Billing periods will be two weeks in length, starting on one Monday and ending on the second Saturday of the period.  Invoices will be received starting on the business day following the end of the billing period. CONTRACTOR should not contact City for invoice status for a minimum of two weeks after an invoice is received.

   

  15. 15. 15. If, due to weather, equipment problems or other unforeseen issues, CONTRACTOR is unwilling or unable to complete services in a timely manner, City reserves the right to assign any one or more properties to another vendor and deduct the cost of said property from the invoice. Primary CONTRACTOR shall reimburse the City for any additional costs arising from the services of the second contractor.

   

  16. 16. 16. CONTRACTOR shall provide a total number of crew members designated to liter pick up and mowing for each zone they are awarded.

   

• Bonding Requirements —
  1. Bidders may be required to provide with a bid, at time of submission, a bid surety in either a flat dollar amount or percentage of bid, as specified. Acceptable forms of bid surety are as follows:
     1. Bid Bond secured from a bona fide bid surety firm.
     2. A Certified Check (or equivalent) if issued by a financial institution insured by an agency of the United States.
     3. Other Forms of Bid Surety as specified in a particular bid.
        1. All forms of Bid Surety should be made payable to the City of Indianapolis/Marion County. No cash or personal checks accepted. All bid surety will be held until formal award is made by the appropriate governing body and until awarded contractor complies with all terms of the award.
  2. Awarded bidder may be requested to provide a Performance Bond/Payment Bond in either a flat dollar amount or a percentage of the bid as specified, made payable to the City of Indianapolis/Marion County, within ten days after receipt of award letter. Other forms of performance guarantee may be acceptable as specified in a particular bid.
• EQUIPMENT —
  1. 1. EQUIPMENT
        1. CONTRACTOR shall provide equipment in sufficient type, capacity, and quantity to safely and efficiently perform the services specified in this Agreement.  Equipment operated in the performance of this agreement shall be operated in such manner to prevent damage to play structures, fences, signs, trees, shrubs, port-o-lets, bollards or other fixtures.

   

  2. 2. 2. DPW staff will conduct site visits to inspect CONTRACTOR’S equipment before a contract is awarded.

   

  3. 3. 3. Red Zone will require the following equipment:

  Tractors with bat wings, 590D Toro, John Deer 1600’s, zero turn mowers, out fronts (or City approved equal mowers).

   

  4. 4. 4. Blue Zone will require the following equipment:

  Tractors with bat wings, 590D Toro, John Deer 1600’s, zero turn mowers, out fronts (or City approved equal mowers).

   

  5. 5. 5. Yellow Zone will require the following equipment:

  Zero turn mowers, 590D Toro, bush hog ( or City approved equal mowers).

   

  6. 6. 6. CONTRACTOR is to provide a list as well pictures of ALL equipment that will be used. City staff will verify the equipment.

   

  7. 7. 7. CONTRACTOR shall equip all mowing machinery with protective shields to prevent foreign objects from being thrown from the mowing machinery.  CONTRACTOR shall be responsible and liable for all damage caused by its operation under this agreement.

   

  8. 8. 8. CONTRACTOR shall have access to an adequate service facility to assure routine maintenance and shall maintain a sufficient supply of replacement parts to assure continuous and uninterrupted service under this Agreement.

   

  9. 9. 9. CONTRACTOR shall perform routine sharpening of mower blades and mow in a manner that results in uniform appearance and quality turf maintenance.

   

  10. 10. 10. Non-mowing equipment shall not be driven off roads, hard surface paths or parking lots.
• General Description for Term Agreement —
  1. Vendors are invited to bid unit prices on a term agreement for Grassy Creek Park Mowing and Trash Pickup to be furnished and delivered to Department of Public Works in Marion County, IN. Other departments and agencies of the City may also utilize this contract.
  2. A Pre-bid Conference will be held on Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at 10:30 am Eastern Time at Grassy Creek Park Center: 3510 N German Church Road, Indianapolis, IN 46235. Vendors will be given the opportunity to ask questions, receive clarification, or simply obtain a greater understanding of the bid prior to submission. 
  3. NOTE:  Any related addenda to this bid, including written answers to questions, will be posted on the Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/indy. Vendors will be responsible for periodically checking the Procurement Portal for any related addenda up to and including the due date.  Vendors must acknowledge addenda with their bid. Failure to acknowledge the addenda may cause a bid to be determined as non- responsive for review purposes.
• Summary —

  Buyer	Kyle Willis
  Buyer Phone	(317) 327-4641

   

  The City of Indianapolis and Marion County by and through the Purchasing Division Department is seeking Bids for Grassy Creek Park Mowing and Trash Pickup. Bids are due not later than 10:00 am on Thursday, April 23, 2026.

• MOWING AND TRIMMING SERVICES —
  1. 1. MOWING AND TRIMMING SERVICES
        1. CONTRACTOR shall provide mowing and trimming services for all parts of the parks specified in in the two maps at the end of the Scope of Services, unless otherwise directed by the City, including but not limited to all berms, ditches, swales, slopes, hillsides, and other grassy areas within a park.  Unless specifically excluded ALL turf in a park is to be mowed-including areas behind fences (keys will be provided for locked areas).

   

  2. 2. 2. CONTRACTOR shall mow all properties to a specific height of listed in section 20.8, or as per instructed by City.

   

  3. 3. 3. CONTRACTOR is required before, or at the time of mowing to pick up any litter, unnatural debris, or objects that may result in a safety hazard.

   

  4. 4. 4. CONTRACTOR may leave grass clippings on grassy areas instead of collecting and disposing of such clippings with the exceptions designated in in the two maps at the end of the Scope of Services Inventory. CONTRACTOR shall not leave grass clippings on non-grassy areas (including streets or gutters).

   

  5. 5. 5. CONTRACTOR shall mow in a manner that does not cause cut vegetation and debris material to be thrown into any hard surface areas including but not limited to pool decks, concrete spray pads, parked or passing vehicles, sewer drains, or streets. Nor shall grass be blown into flower beds, or people in the mow area.

   

  6. 6. 6. CONTRACTOR shall not mow vegetation in standing water or soft areas of the landscape, to help eliminate tire rut damage, unless otherwise directed by City.

   

  7. 7. 7. CONTRACTOR shall mow in a manner that does not cause tire slippage resulting in unnecessary damage to turf areas. This includes the tire “circle marks” in turf areas that occur when mowers circle cut around fixed objects in a way that causes unnecessary wear or visible damage to turf.

   

  8. 8. 8. CONTRACTOR shall consider uneven surface areas within the mow area as susceptible to scalping and shall mow in a manner to prevent unnecessary damage to turf.

   

  9. 9. 9. CONTRACTOR shall move non-fixed objects in turf areas, such as trash cans, picnic tables, soccer goals, other play equipment, and mow under them, unless otherwise directed by City.

   

  10. 10. 10. All mowing/trimming in pool areas must be completed outside of pool open hours.

  NOTE:  CONTRACTOR may need to move deck furniture to complete work.

   

  11. 11. 11. Mowing/trimming on City holidays is permitted until 10 am.  [Greenway mowing is excepted from this clause-and is permitted without time restriction].

   

  12. 12. 12. CONTRACTOR shall perform all trimming around trees where turf type vegetation is adjoining trees by carefully executed mechanical method (to not damage tree). The presence of low limbs or fallen limbs shall not encumber the trimming of trees.

   

  13. 13. 13. A reasonable edge shall be maintained on the border between turf and hard surface areas. CONTRACTOR shall remove weeds and grasses by means of mechanical/string trimming including, but not limited to the following areas:

   

  1. Sidewalks and curb lines bordering park property.
  2. Sidewalks and parking lot curb lines within the park property.
  3. Cracks in sidewalks and parking lots.
  4. Cracks in hard surfaces such as tennis courts, basketball courts, aquatic facilities and shelters.  Grasses and weeds on these surfaces must be removed completely to eliminate tripping hazards.
  5. All FIXED objects throughout the park will have no grass or weeds growing higher than the mowed grass.
  6. In/around foot bridges and fence lines (both sides of each fence unless inaccessible).  This includes fences around league mowed fields, but excludes weeds WOVEN into fences.
  7. In/around buildings, sheds, dugouts, bollards, utility poles, guard rails, or any other fixed object.
  8. In and along playgrounds.
  9. Small Indy Parks promotional signs are permitted.  Simply mow adjacent grass and move sign there.
  10. Inside fenced in utility areas.

   

  NOTE:  To assist in identifying damaged turf areas, CONTRACTOR should cease mowing them and allow grass to grow to 6”, trimming the area to 6-8” until area is repaired.  CONTRACTOR shall, upon City request, resume mowing said area regularly.

   

• General Conditions / Contractual Clauses —
  1. The City of Indianapolis and Marion County are exempt from Local, State and Federal Taxes and will not be responsible for any taxes levied on contractor as a result of a bid award.
  2. All terms contained in this document will become part of the contract between awarded bidder and the City of Indianapolis/Marion County.
  3. This contract may be renewed under the same terms and conditions subject to the approval in compliance with IC 5-22-17-4. The term of the renewed contract may not be longer than the term of the original contract. Any provision for automatic renewal is void.
  4. The City of Indianapolis/Marion County reserve the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any of the terms and conditions and provisions contained in the Request for Bid (RFB) or other documents, or any informality, irregularity, or omission in any bid, and to award to one or more bidders.
  5. Manufacturer and/or model number of equipment being bid must be stated. It is the contractor’s responsibility to show proof that goods being offered are of equal quality to those that were specified. Any exceptions to the specifications must be clearly set forth in the contractor’s bid.
  6. If not bidding a delivered price to point of destination, shipping price must be listed as a separate price on the RFB form.
  7. Upon delivery and/or inspection of ordered goods or upon performance of services, should the ordering agency determine that goods/services do not meet specifications; same will not be accepted and will be returned at the contractor’s expense.
  8. Formal contracts and/or proof of insurability may be required on applicable bids.
  9. The City of Indianapolis /Marion County reserves the right to deny payment to contractors ordering or delivering goods/services without benefit of a verbal or written purchase order number.
  10. The apparent low bidder must submit or have on file form CC-09 which may be obtained from the Office of Minority and Women Business Development (OMWBD). Failure to do so may cause your bid to be rejected. Information pertaining to the OMWBD Program and/or questions should be directed to the OMWBD located in Suite 1260 of the City-County Building, 200 East Washington Street Indianapolis, IN 46204, Telephone (317) 327-5262.
  11. The Contractor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Marion County Indiana, City of Indianapolis, its officials, agents, officers, and employees for any and all claims, actions, causes of action, judgments, and liens arising out of any negligent act of omission by the Contractor or any of its officers, agents, employees, or subcontractors or any defect in materials or workmanship or any supply, material or mechanism or other product which it or any of its officers, agents, employees, or subcontractors has supplied to the City/County or has used in connection with this agreement. Such indemnity shall include attorney’s fees, costs and other expenses arising therefrom or incurred in connection therewith and shall not be limited by reason of the enumeration of any insurance coverage required herein.
  12. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if funds for the continued fulfillment of this Agreement by the City/County are at any time not forthcoming or are insufficient, through failure of any entity to appropriate funds or otherwise, then the City/County shall have the right to terminate this agreement without penalty by giving prior written notice documenting the lack of funds, in which instance, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties, this Agreement shall terminate and become null and void on the last day of the fiscal period for which appropriations were received. The City/County agrees that it will make its best effort to obtain sufficient funds, including but not limited to including in its budget for each fiscal period during the term hereof a request for sufficient funds to meet its obligations hereunder in full. This contract may be terminated by either party at the City’s option, upon 10 days written notice, unless otherwise specified.   
  13. No portion of this Agreement shall be sublet, assigned or otherwise disposed of by the Contractor except with the written consent of the City/County being first obtained. Consent to sublet, assign or otherwise disposed of any portion of this Agreement shall not be construed to relieve the Contractor of any responsibility for the fulfillment of the Agreement.
  14. Unless otherwise specified within the Agreement, this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Indiana, and by all Municipal Ordinances and codes of the Consolidated City of Indianapolis, as the same shall be in full force and effect upon the date of this Agreement is executed.
  15. Any goods and services provided under this Agreement shall meet or exceed all applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration Standards.
  16. This Agreement represents the entire and integrated Agreement between the City/County and the Contractor and supersedes all prior negotiations, representations, and/or contracts, either written or oral. This Agreement may be amended only by written instrument signed by both City/County and Contractor and attached hereto as an addendum.
• Background —

  If Vendor wishes to return a hard copy bid to Purchasing instead of using the new electronic process. Please do the following steps:

  Go to Downloads tab. Select the Project Documents and Attachments. Click Download Selected Items. A zip file containing the selected items will download to your computer.

   

  Delivery by U.S. Mail or In Person:

   

  City County Purchasing Division

  200 E. Washington Street

  Room 1522

  Indianapolis, IN 46204

   

  Hard copy Bids are opened:

  April 23, 2026, 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time in City County Purchasing Division, Room 1560.

  Bids Only: Bids are to be delivered to room 1522 City/County Building prior to 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time on or before the above due date. However, from 9:31 until 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, bids will be accepted in room 1560 of the City/County Building.

• Term Contract for Supplies —
  1. This request is to establish one or more term contracts. No guaranteed minimum or maximum purchase quantities are either stated or implied.  The quantities listed are estimates only and are based on history or department survey.  The City may purchase more or less than the amounts shown.  All orders shall be on an as needed basis, subject to the availability of funding and budgetary considerations.
  2. The term of the initial contract shall be three (3) years, effective from the date of the execution of this Agreement.
• CHEMICAL/SPRAY TRIMMING  —
  1. 1. CHEMICAL/SPRAY TRIMMING 
        1. This will allow for “chemical trimming” in select areas.

   

  2. 2. 2. CONTRACTOR shall receive written approval from City before using any chemical sprays.

   

  3. 3. 3. Chemical sprays shall be limited to two specific areas.  1) Playgrounds (IN playgrounds NOT around them), and 2) weeds/unwanted vegetation within hard surface areas.  Other areas can be approved but CONTRACTOR must receive written approval in advance.

   

  4. 4. 4. CONTRACTOR shall use only industry-approved chemicals. CONTRACTOR shall be in compliance with the regulations of the Indiana Herbicide Law and any other applicable federal, state, or local laws or regulations, including EPA and OSHA regulations. CONTRACTOR shall, upon request, provide proof of herbicide applicator’s license and/or any other notification as per federal, state, or local laws.

   

  5. 5. 5. CONTRACTOR must apply spray herbicides on non-windy days and in such a manner as to prevent (completely) any overspray.

   

  6. 6. 6. CONTRACTOR spraying in playgrounds will inform the public of chemical use by posting a minimum of 2-4 small flags designating use in each playground. The flags shall be removed on the next day. CITY will need to approve the type of flag used.

   

• Term Contract for Services —
  1. This request is to establish one or more term contracts for Grassy Creek Park Mowing and Trash Pickup. The resulting contract will primarily be used by Department of Public Works. However, other departments and agencies of the City of Indianapolis and Marion County may also utilize the resulting contract under the same pricing, terms, and conditions.  Unless otherwise agreed to, all ordering locations will be within Marion County, IN. The City does not guarantee minimum or maximum amount of services to be purchased under this bid. The scope of services listed is estimated based on the City’s potential need or history and the desire for services. The City may purchase more or less services than the amounts indicated in the bid/quote.  All orders shall be on an as needed basis, subject to the availability of funding and budgetary considerations.
  2. The term of the initial contract shall be three (3) years, effective from the date of the execution of this Agreement.
• Quantities —

  The quantities listed are estimates only and are based on history or department survey.  The City may purchase more or less than the amounts shown.  All orders shall be on an as needed basis, subject to the availability of funding and budgetary considerations.

• LITTER & TRASH PICK-UP SERVICES —
  1. 1. LITTER & TRASH PICK-UP SERVICES
        1. CONTRACTOR shall pickup all loose trash on day property is mowed and by 5pm on days as designated by this agreement.  This will include open grounds, shelters, pool decks or any other areas of the park.  

   

  2. 2. 2. Hard surface areas shall be free of all natural or man made debris including but not limited to paper trash and post party debris, dropped food, balloons, charcoal ashes, signs (need to be removed), tape on columns or other fixed objects, goose or other animal droppings, etc. Broken glass should be swept up, not blown off. NOTE:  CONTRACTOR is not expected to wash picnic tables or hard surface areas with water.

   

  3. 3. 3. Red and Blue zone properties shall be serviced for trash/litter by 3 pm on Mondays (time variances may be granted upon request).  Thereafter CONTRACTOR may adjust pick-up times.  Pick-up times shall remain reasonably consistent throughout the week.

   

  4. 4. 4. Park with 7-day per week pickup  unless otherwise noted.  Trash pickup will not be affected by weather, Knozone Action Days, holidays. Unless a dumpster is on site, Vendors will be responsible for emptying trash barrels.  
        5. CONTRACTOR shall remove any natural debris (branches/sticks/sweet gum pods/acorns, etc.) from hard surface areas such as, but not limited to:  shelters, basketball courts, tennis courts spray grounds.

   

  5. 1. 1. Removal of large fallen branches/limbs will be handled in the manner described below. CONTRACTOR may carry/drag fallen branches to forested areas on site on any property.

  On properties WITH forested/natural areas	Limbs Up to 5” in diameter/any length-CONTRACTOR moves to natural/forested area Limbs Up to 10” in diameter/4 ft. in length-CONTRACTOR moves to natural/forested area Limbs greater than 10” in diameter or longer than 4 feet-CONTRACTOR notifies City
  On properties WITHOUT forested/natural areas	Limbs Up to 5” in diameter/any length-CONTRACTOR removes/disposes Limbs greater than 5” in diameter/any length-CONTRACTOR notifies City Small bundles of limbs (up to 24” in diameter), regardless of origin or location, will be the responsibility of the CONTRACTOR, but can be scattered in natural/forested areas

   

  6. 2. 2. CONTRACTOR shall remove all loose trash and empty any trash barrels on site. Liners will be replaced when barrels are at least 50% (25% before a holiday weekend) full, or if they contain bugs or rotting and/or foul-smelling debris. Liners shall be tied down or large enough to adhere to the top of the barrel (and not fall inside). Unless otherwise excluded, this shall include all trash on site (not just turfed areas). (NOTE: election campaign signs and advertising signs are considered trash). This includes advertising signs on utility poles or any other fixed objects. CONTRACTOR is not responsible for:  dead mammals, human waste, hazardous wastes.  NOTE:  for the purpose of this agreement, paint cans, paint thinner cans, used paint brushes or other paint supplies are not considered hazardous waste and will need to be picked up and disposed of properly.

   

  7. 3. 3. CONTRACTOR shall be responsible for the removal of dumped of bulk trash on any property up to 5 large bags (or the equivalent in natural debris).  Exclusions include large furniture, mattresses, dumped tree debris, leaf bags.  Trash from large special events is also excluded—(City solely responsible for determining whether an event is excluded or not).  Litter/trash service on construction areas within designated properties is also excluded.  Debris from pool de-winterization is excluded.

   

  8. 4. 4. CONTRACTOR shall be responsible for the disposal of building trash if any buildings are on site.  This provision shall exclude buildings with an on-site dumpster and trash from comfort stations.

   

  9. 5. 5. Emergency Callouts for trash services may be requested on occasion.  Required response time will be within 3 hours of notification. The cost of each callout will be $50 per call. NOTE:  fee will be waived if the callout is the result of a missed task on the part of the CONTRACTOR.
• Split Awards —

  The City may award a contract to a vendor who submits the overall lowest, responsive, and responsible bid/quote; or it may split the award between two or more vendors, all to the advantage of the City.  For purposes of evaluation, a split between two or more vendors will not be considered to be to the advantage of the City if increased administrative costs offset any projected cost savings realized by splitting the award. 

• SECTION PROPERTY INSPECTION —
  1. 1. SECTION PROPERTY INSPECTION
        1. All mowing cycles will be inspected by the City on a regular basis. Each inspection will have one of three results:  Approval, Advisory, Rejection.  CONTRACTOR will not be contacted after each approval.  The City will notify CONTRACTOR within two business days if a property is Rejected.  CONTRACTOR will have 24 hours from time of notification to correct deficiencies.  The City will not pay for properties not completed in their entirety before the start of the next mowing cycle.  CONTRACTOR must notify the City that corrections have been made and give the City sufficient time to inspect corrections before beginning the next mowing cycle on the same property.

   

  An Advisory is issued if a property has deficiencies that are minor in nature and insufficient to generate a Rejection.  Deficiencies under an Advisory must be corrected in the next week’s cycle or within 7 days if on a 2 Week Cycle mowing schedule.  Issues classified as Advisories will be “upgraded” to Rejections if repeated frequently.  No Advisories will be permitted on the final cut of the season.

   

  2. 2. 2. CONTRACTOR will be required to submit electronic photos of completed properties or corrected deficiencies.

   

  3. 3. 3. Practices/procedures of City work crews may or may not have any bearing on the responsibilities and practices of contracted services.  The City shall be sole judge as to the effectiveness of City Grounds crews or any contract unit.

   

   

• Renewal —

  The contract resulting from this bid/quote may be renewed beyond the expiration date by mutual agreement of the parties.  The term of the renewal may not be longer than the term of the original contract.  A renewal shall be by written notice by either party and written acceptance by the other.  All other terms and conditions of the contract shall remain the same as set forth in the resulting agreement.  Terms and conditions may be amended only by written instrument, signed by both the City, and awarded vendor, and attached to the resulting agreement as an amendment.

• ADDITIONAL DEFINITIONS —
  1. 1. Additional Definitions -

  	Property Zones	Parks are grouped into “Zones.”  Each zone will vary somewhat in size and the number of parks.  Generally, the zones will be in the same geographical area. CONTRACTOR will bid on ALL ZONES—none can be excluded.  The PRICE sheet requires specific costs for each ZONE. This is done to facilitate possible changes in mowable area.  Each Three zones will be awarded to one bidder in its entirety.
  	Acreage Estimates	Mowing acreage listings are estimates only.  CONTRACTOR is responsible for their own measurements.  Unless specifically excepted, ALL turf/weeds/litter in the park is included, including in fenced in areas such as pools and utility areas (keys will be provided).
  	Liquidated Damages	For failure to send a representative to the mandatory pre-season meeting City will be damaged in the amount of $250. For failure to notify the City of the completed services by 8:30 am of the next work day, the City will be damaged in the amount $50 per occurrence. For failure to pick up trash or mowing, the City will be damaged in the amount of $75 for each incident. For each rejected property the City will be damaged in the amount of $100. For work which has been rejected twice by the City within the same week, CONTRACTOR will not be paid for work and the fine will still hold. For failure by CONTRACTOR to address valid complaints or identified deficiencies as required by this agreement, the City will be damaged in the amount of $50 per day per valid complaint or deficiency. For allowing overspray in the use of chemical sprays, the City will be damaged in an amount up to $50 per item.  For example, if there is overspray at four trees on a property, liquidated damages may be $200.  City shall be exclusive judge of damage degree. For failure to comply with any other provision in the agreement, City shall be damaged in the amount of $25 for each incident. The amount of Liquidated damages may be doubled/tripled as needed to deter repeated offenses. CONTRACTOR is responsible for full replacement value of any park asset destroyed by CONTRACTOR. This includes, but is not limited to trees, shrubs, fixed objects, etc.  City assets damaged but not destroyed by CONTRACTOR will be assessed a value based upon the % loss of function of the object, billable to CONTRACTOR.  City shall be sole judge/determiner as to the degree of damage and cost of replacement. City reserves the right to remove an entire Zone from a contract if the CONTRACTOR is repeatedly unable to perform services for any one or more properties in an acceptable manner. For failure of CONTRACTOR to keep cut grass out of spray park drains (results in required clean out by City) City shall be damaged in the amount of $50 or the full reimbursement cost of a drain cleaning service, whichever is greater.
  	Holiday Trash Pickup	Our busiest parks will require an additional trash service after holidays (specifically) Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day.  To accommodate this, we’ll need an extra pickup on the Tuesday after at those parks not already on Monday through Friday trash schedules.   When July 4 lands on a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday there will be an additional pickup on the day after.  When it lands on any other day, the regular schedule prevails. NOTE: Greenways require no holiday trash services.
  	Minimum Qualifications	Qualified CONTRACTOR shall have a minimum of four (4) years commercial mowing experience.  Or, within the past two years CONTRACTOR will have had a commercial client base with total acreage no less than 50 acres.
  	City Crews	Practices/procedures of City work crews may or may not have any bearing on the responsibilities and practices of contracted services.  The City shall be sole judge as to the effectiveness of City or any contract unit.
  	Media Contact	No media/public contact is permitted. CONTRACTOR shall direct all public/media requests to DPW management.

   

• PROPERTY MAPS —
  1. 1. Property Maps

   

  Total 124 acres for all three zones.  City has the right to alter the number of cycles and dates during the contract. See attachments for property map pdf file.

   

  RED ZONE:  Old Grassy Creek Park 10510 E. 30th Street Indianapolis, IN 46229 (30.2 acres)

  One cut per week equals one cycle for 24 cycles. 

   

  BLUE ZONE: Grassy Creek Park 3510 N. German Church Road Indianapolis 46229 (1.6 acres)  

  One cut per week equals one cycle for 24 cycles.  Blue Zone is still under the construction company for maintenance until 2027.

   

  YELLOW ZONE: Grassy Creek Park Trails 3510 E. German Church Road Indianapolis 46229 (3 acres) 

  Trails from:

  Mitthoeffer Road east to Carroll  Road,

  10510 E. 30th Street to 10600 Lacebark Lane including trail access roads  (3 acres)

  • Paved greenways trails – mow 2 ft from edge of pavement x 3” high.  Do not mow shorter than 3” high.  Do not let growth get taller than 6” high.  Weekly or bi-weekly mowing as needed.
  • Paved Grassy Creek Connector Trail from Mitthoefer Road to Carroll Road, mowing width is 2 ft unless noted otherwise. (new seeding areas; see maps for location of exceptions  to 2 feet mowing width).
  • Access points are marked with a “star” on the map.
  • Weed trimming along any fences on both sides of the trail.
  • No mowing in the marked "Protected Areas" taken care of by Land Stewardship.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

• Firm Bids —

  All bids received shall be considered valid for not less than ninety (90) days from the date of bid opening.  Pricing shall be firm for the length of the contract, including any renewals.

• Bonds —

  There will be no bid bonds or performance bonds required for this contract. 

• Specifications —
  1. The specifications are intended to provide a foundation for open competition for the supply of commodities or services to meet City needs.  Minor and immaterial technical deviations may, at the discretion of the City, be deemed in substantial compliance with the specifications.  However, material variances may render the vendor non-responsive and ineligible for award.
  2. The use of brand names, models, etc. serves to establish the design, performance and level of quality needed and not to restrict competition. (Items that are equal in design, performance and quality will be considered.)  The right to evaluate specification compliance and equality is reserved to the City, and the vendor shall have the burden of proof to demonstrate that any proposed substitutes are equal.  Vendor shall note the manufacturer/model # of any substitutes, or the reference brand(s) will be assumed.
  3. Items that are equal in design, performance and quality will be considered unless the wording "No Substitute"/ "Brand Name Only"/ "No Approved Equals" is indicated. When the description includes the wording "No Substitute"/ "Brand Name Only"/ "No Approved Equals" in addition to the trade name, quotations of price will be accepted only on the trade- named product indicated. All disputes concerning grades and quality of merchandise or work shall be determined by the City.
  4. All exceptions to the specifications and terms shall be noted in detail on the attached Exception Sheet.
• Delivery —

  Unless otherwise agreed to by the requesting location, delivery shall be within na calendar days after receipt of a valid order.  All deliveries shall be made Monday through Friday during normal business hours (official holidays excluded) unless other prior arrangements are made.  Vendor shall adhere to any other delivery policies (e.g., notification, etc.) as may be required by the department or agency.  Vendor may not be compensated or reimbursed for goods acquired or services provided prior to the issuance of a valid purchase order.

• Freight Terms —

  The City requests delivered pricing (FOB Destination, Freight Prepaid & Allowed) for this particular contract, and shipping charge should therefore be included in the vendor’s unit price.  Additional charges including, but not limited to, fuel, delivery, residential, Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF) surcharges will not be allowed.  All items will be shipped and protected in transit per industry standards.

• No Handling Charges —

  If, for any reason, the City rejects items supplied by the vendor, the City shall not be responsible for any shipping and handling, restocking, or similar charges incurred by the vendor.

• Contract Termination —

  The City may terminate the resulting contract for cause or convenience at any time during the term of the contract, without penalty, upon ten (10) calendar day’s written notice to the vendor.  The City shall be the sole judge of the adequacy of the vendor’s performance pursuant to the resulting contract.

• Proof of Insurance —

  At the time of award, vendor may be required to provide proof of insurance showing existing coverage in accordance with the terms and amounts stated in the Sample Agreement, or the terms and amounts of insurance coverage vendor proposes to furnish in lieu of the amounts in the Sample Agreement.  The proof of insurance shall be issued by a financially responsible insurance company authorized to do business in Indiana.

• Debarment and Suspension —
  1. Vendors should be aware that by entering into an agreement with the City, neither they, nor their principals, should be presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from entering into this agreement by any federal agency or by any department, agency, or political subdivision of the State of Indiana.  The term principals, as used in this paragraph, means an officer, director, owner, partner, key employee, or other person with primary management or supervisory responsibilities, or a person who has critical influence on or substantive control over the operations of the vendor’s business.
  2. The awarded vendor shall not have their business name(s) or principal’s name(s) listed on the debarment web site at https://www.sam.gov/SAM/.  A check of this listing will be made by the City.  The City reserves the right to nullify the award of any bid, quote, or request for proposal based on this listing.  It is recommended that vendors check the website listing prior to submitting documents.
  3. Vendor should also be aware of the City’s Policy on Wage Theft and Payroll Fraud.  City will not enter into an agreement with a vendor who, as a result of this policy, has been debarred by the City of Indianapolis.  In addition, any subcontractor who has been listed on the City’s Debarred/Suspended Vendors list will not be allowed to participate in the resultant agreement.  It is the responsibility of each vendor to retain and properly monitor quality subcontractors on City agreements.  Vendor should make an effort to perform reviews of subcontractors through the federal SAM system and through the City’s Debarred/Suspended list.  Both the Wage Theft and Payroll Fraud policy and a list of Debarred/Suspended Vendors may be found at https://www.indy.gov/agency/office-of-finance-and-management-purchasing-division.
• Accessibility —

  Individuals with disabilities or needing special assistance during site visits, scheduled conferences, openings, or any other activities related to a bid, quote or request for proposal should contact the Purchasing Division at (317) 327- 4900 to make arrangements for such assistance.

• Successors and Assigns —

  Vendor binds itself and its partners, successors, executors, administrators and assigns to City and to the partners, successors, executors, administrators and assigns of City, in respect to all covenants of this agreement; except as otherwise provided herein, vendor shall not assign, sublet, or transfer its interest in this agreement without the written consent of City.

• Bid Expenses —

  By submitting a response to this bid/quote, each vendor agrees that all of its related expenses are its sole responsibility, and that the City will not be responsible for any costs whatsoever incurred by the vendor in connection with or resulting from the bid/quote process, including but not limited to costs for preparation/submission of the bid/quote, travel & per diem, attending interviews, providing presentations or product demonstrations.

• Intent to Purchase —

  Although this solicitation and resultant contract may state a specific model or version and an estimated number of items or units to be purchased, it is understood and agreed that the City may purchase additional products and/or services from the contractor including subsequent product releases or replacement products at the original submitted price; provided that these additional items do not materially differ from the original product and represent the same manufacturer and essential functionality.

• Sample Agreement —

  A Sample Agreement, which includes insurance requirements, is available for review at the end of this document. This sample agreement contains the City’s standard terms but may not contain language specific to this purchase.  Any proposed exceptions to this document should be included in detail on the Exception Sheet.

  Insurance Notice

  Please review the insurance requirements carefully. All insurance requirements listed and referenced in this request will be included in the final contract, this includes requirements listed in the sample agreement. A change can be requested during the bidding process, but once the bid is awarded no insurance waivers can be provided. Changes can be requested in the Exceptions Sheet and/or during the question-and-answer portion of the bidding process. A justification for requested changes should be provided, including references to the project scope of work. For construction projects, pleasure ensure you review the insurance requirements in the Article 5 of the City of Indianapolis Standard General Conditions for Construction Contracts.

• Monitoring —

  For management purposes, City agencies or departments may report contract problems to the Purchasing Division by using the City Intranet Contract Monitoring Report.  This program of quality control is to ensure that contractors successfully fulfill their contractual obligations with the City and maintain a positive contractor performance status.

  If requested by the City, a report shall be submitted on all goods and services provided or project milestones. (This may be a one-time, monthly, quarterly or annual report as requested.) The report shall include but not be limited to: The vendor’s name, address, contact information, contract number / description, date and location of services or project details, agency name, purchase order number(s), hours to complete projects and costs associated for services or milestone completed.  These reports should be submitted in a Microsoft Office Program format and mailed to the attention of the Contract Manager at 1522 City-County Building, 200 East Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN  46204.  Reports may also be submitted to the Contract Manager by email to Purchasing@indy.gov.

• E-Verify Program —

  Pursuant to IC 22-5-1.7, all public contracts for services entered into must contain E-Verify provisions.  Any Contractor entering into a service agreement with the City or County shall affirm under penalties of perjury that it is and will remain in compliance with that statute.  This affirmation is part of the digital contract signature process. Additional information can be viewed on the Purchasing Division web site at https://www.indy.gov/activity/find-bid-opportunities.

• Services or Goods Acquisition by the City —
  1. Pursuant to City/County ordinance, contracts not approved by the Office of Corporation Counsel and the City Controller are voidable.  Contractor shall not begin performing services, acquiring, or delivering goods, prior to receipt of a fully executed contract, including the Controller’s signature.
  2. Awarded vendor(s) must have a validly issued purchase order prior to beginning services, acquiring or delivering goods.  The vendor(s) will not be compensated for services rendered or goods secured prior to the issuance, by the Purchasing Division, of a valid purchase order. (Revised Code §141-102)
• Method of Payment —

  Vendor must be willing to accept invoice payments via City/County check, City/County Purchasing Card (Master Card) or Automated Clearing House (ACH) at the City’s sole option and discretion. The City will not be responsible for any card fees or other bank charges incurred by the vendor.

• Current Agreement —

  The City is presently contracted with the following Contractor(s) to provide this service/product.  A scan of the City's written agreement may be viewed online at https://www.indy.gov/activity/city-and-county-contracts and searching for the contract number(s).

  Contract Number	Contractor

• Point of Contact —

  The Contractor shall provide a point of contact assigned to oversee the resulting contract and to be able to keep the City informed of changes, progress, and to be able to answer any questions The Contractor shall provide name, phone number, email address and any other pertinent contact information for the point of contact.

Submission Requirements

• U.S. Manufactured Products Preference Certification (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• QUALIFICATIONS and REFERENCES (required) —

  Qualified CONTRACTOR shall have a minimum of four (4) years commercial mowing experience.  Or, within the past two years CONTRACTOR will have had a commercial client base with total acreage no less than 50 acres.

   

  Submit company profile with bid. 

   

  Years of Verifiable Commercial Service in mowing            ______________

   

  If commercial service is 4 years or more--list commercial acreage under contract

  Client Name

  Contact Number

  Acreage Mowed

• Bid Acknowledgement Form (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Affidavit of Non-Collusion (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• MBE-WBE-VBE-DOBE (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Nepotism (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Escalator Clause (required) —

  The quoted price in a contract must be firm for the first year of an Agreement, after which an escalator clause can be invoked when market conditions dictate up to a maximum increase in the bid price of 5% over the term of the Agreement.  Exceptions can be considered only when market conditions dictate a revised escalator for a particular product.  Price increases will be adjusted only to the amount of a cost increase to the vendor and must be supported by written documentation indicating new higher cost adjustments have occurred. The City/County reserves the right to accept or reject all such price adjustments.

  Please indicate if you have read this clause.

• Catalog Discounts (required) —

  Please submit your standard catalog/list pricing and indicate any percentage discounts off list price that will apply to the City.  This pricing may be utilized for any additional items that may be required during the contract.

  Current purchasing laws do not allow the City to enter into a “Cost Plus Percentage of Cost” type contract.  Therefore, the City requests that all parts and materials be provided either at a specified discount from the Manufacturer’s Printed Price List or at actual cost. Proper documentation will be required.

  Percentage Discount off MSRP (list price): _________________%

  Listed in (name of) Manufacturer Catalog: __________________

• Exception Sheet (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Extended Price Sheet
• If awarded an agreement as a result of the pricing proposed herein, will you extend this pricing to political subdivisions in Indiana (and notify Indianapolis Purchasing division upon initial extension to an additional subdivision)? (required) —

  Political subdivisions include cities, towns, school corporations, and county governments.  If you mark YES, you are agreeing that you are willing to extend your proposed pricing to any of these entities if they wish to purchase from any resulting Agreement.

• Will there be a freight differential required to extend pricing to political subdivisions outside Marion County? (required)
• Will you agree to provide upon request but not more than quarterly, a report to the City of Indianapolis that would include the names of; (required) —
  1. any participating political subdivisions and
  2. item descriptions and quantities purchased per subdivision?
• The City of Indianapolis DOES NOT accept responsibility for purchase orders issued by other political subdivisions. (required)
• Is this for an Outright Purchase or Term Contract? (required)
• Is this for an Outright Purchase without a contract? (required)
• Is this for goods or services? (required)
• Goods or Services to be furnished and delivered to _________. (required) —

  Example: Agency, Department, Location

• Will there be a pre-bid conference? (required)
• Will you be requesting Catalog Discounts? (required)
• The term of the initial contract shall be __________, effective from the date of the execution of this Agreement. (required) —

  Example: _____ (3) years

• The resulting contract will primarily be used by _______________________. (required) —

  Provide agency/department and location

• Unless otherwise agreed to by the requesting location, delivery shall be within ______ calendar days after receipt of a valid order. (required) —

  Example: 30

• Will you be needing the Escalator Clause? (required) —

  "The quoted price in a contract must be firm for the first year of an Agreement, after which an escalator clause can be invoked when market conditions dictate up to a maximum increase in the bid price of 5% over the term of the Agreement.  Exceptions can be considered only when market conditions dictate a revised escalator for a particular product.  Price increases will be adjusted only to the amount of a cost increase to the vendor and must be supported by written documentation indicating new higher cost adjustments have occurred. The City/County reserves the right to accept or reject all such price adjustments."