Lawn Care Service for Thacker Avenue Elementary School

2.0 SCOPE OF GOODS AND/OR SERVICES AND APPLICABLE SPECIFICATIONS This Specification establishes the minimum requirements for this solicitation, listed and described in the body of these specifications, to be used as noted, by The School Board of Osceola County, FL. The scope of work shall consist of completely mowing, weeding, edging, trimming, pruning and debris removal within the perimeter of the campus in order that the campus maintains a neat and orderly appearance. The mowing, weeding, edging, trimming, pruning, and removal of debris must be done on a weekly basis. The awarded contractor will be responsible for maintaining the main buildings, parking lots, courtyards and the items listed below: a. Maintaining all areas around the portables, where applicable b. Weeding along all fences on campus, retention pond perimeters and all parking lots c. Mowing and weeding around all athletic equipment, utility, trees, shrubs, bike racks, fence, school signs, and any other obstacles d. Weeding in all flower beds, and areas inside fenced in electric units e. Clearing off parking lots of grass, sand, and mulch f. Maintain around all playground equipment g. Periodic testing of present and/ or working irrigation systems is required, as determined in walkthroughs, and recorded in writing, if head needs to be replaced, the vendor is responsible to replace heads, heads are supplied by the school h. Mulching 1 (one) time per year in August with red cypress mulch 2.01 CAMPUS BOUNDARIES See the attached map (Attachment “H”) for boundaries. Total property acreage is 15 (Fifteen). 2.02 SCHEDULE At least seven (7) calendar days prior to commencement of the contract, the awarded contractor shall submit a permanent schedule listing the day of the week services shall be performed (weather permitting). Any amendment to the schedule must be requested in writing to the maintenance contact person prior to implementation, and a copy of the “approved” schedule sent to Purchasing. 2.03 LAWN CARE SERVICES The lawn care services as listed below shall be performed by the contractor according to the guidelines and schedule outlines in Attachment I: Cutting Height for Turf Grasses and Attachment I: Cutting periods. These services shall be performed such that the campus maintains a well-groomed appearance. A. MOWING All grass areas shall be mowed and maintained. The lawn care Contractor is to make all efforts to maintain the grass height to a 3-inch standard. The mowing schedule may be adjusted by the contractor only after consultation and approval with the District Contact Person to fit the changes in weather conditions and climatic factors. B. EDGING The edging shall be done for all such areas as sidewalks (chemical edging of sidewalks is NOT PERMITTED), curbs, parking lot, flowerbeds, shrub beds and around the bottom of trees. This is to be done on a weekly basis. C. TRIMMING All grass areas shall be trimmed evenly around areas such as tree bases, building perimeters, fence lines, etc. to maintain a neat and orderly appearance. Note: It is imperative that all fence lines be weed free and maintain a neat and orderly appearance. Environmentally safe chemicals are to be used to keep fence lines free of weeds, are to be removed from the fence lines as well. The chemical kill line shall not exceed four (4) inches. The vendor will provide and apply the chemicals, as needed. MSDS (materials safety data sheets) for all chemicals used in the performance of this contract and a log of the dates and locations the chemicals were used. D. PRUNING All Plants and trees shall be neatly pruned and/or clipped to preserve the natural character and in a manner appropriate for each plant. All trees must be maintained with a twelve (12) foot canopy. Broken or bruised limbs shall be removed with a clean cut; all clippings shall be taken up and properly disposed of off SDOC property. Trimming required on trees or palms over twelve (12) feet high will be negotiated separately with the awarded vendor as needed to maintain a natural shape. E. CLEANING THE PROPERTY All areas, (streets, sidewalks, patios, hallways, dock areas, etc.) are to be cleaned free of leaves, mulch, grass, and any other debris by means of blowers, or any other means necessary to insure a clean property. F. LITTER AND DEBRIS REMOVAL It is not reasonable for any lawn care service to pick-up other than occasional pieces of paper during regular maintenance visits. It is the school’s responsibility to maintain a normal trash pickup and to continue to clean up such high activity areas. A variety of refuse will build up in scrub, ground cover, bed, and grass areas. During regular maintenance procedures, such as mowing and pruning, this debris is to be removed by the lawn care contractor on a frequency of not less than one per week and must be completed prior to mowing. G. INSECT AND WEED CONTROL Regular spraying of both Herbicides and Pesticides should be applied on a monthly or as needed basis, following manufacturer’s instructions. This shall also include any possible hand weeding of flower beds and shrubs necessary to maintain a neat and orderly campus. MSDS (material safety data sheets) must be provided for all chemicals used on the site along with dates listed on the checklist when these chemicals were applied. These Safety Data Sheets are to be sent to Districts Risk Management Department. H. REMOVAL OF DEAD/DYING PLANT LIFE The awarded contractor shall be responsible for removing all dead and dying plant life. Contractor shall note removal on a monthly checklist submitted to school. It will be the responsibility of the School to replace plants. Removal of dead, fallen trees and large branches over eight (8) feet in height/length is not included as part of this contract and may be negotiated with the awarded vendor. 2.04 STUDENT PROJECT AREAS Areas may be pointed out during the pre-bid walk through that are to be reserved for class projects. These areas shall be maintained by the students and must be noted by the vendor to avoid confusion and the possibility of mowing over class projects. 2.05 MULCHING Mulching once a year with red cypress in August before schools have their open house for students and in a (two) 2 foot diameter in all flowerbeds and around shrubs. Pricing shall be included in the monthly cost. 2.06 FLOWER BEDS All Flowerbeds and Shrub lines shall be weeded as specified. The use of chemical weed killer to maintain the flowerbeds must receive prior approval of the District Contact Person. Replacement of flowers, trees, shrubs bushes, or other plants damaged due to improper use of chemicals in the performance of the lawn care services will be responsibility of the vendor, at no cost to the District. 2.07 HERBICIDE LIMITATIONS Round up or equal to may be used to kill vegetation in areas as listed below that are not accessible with conventional lawn care equipment. The resulting dead vegetation must be removed from the premises in order to maintain a well-groomed appearance. All herbicides are to be provided by the vendor. Herbicides may be used in the following areas, under the conditions listed: a. Along the outer fence lines of the campus, provided the kill line does not exceed four (4”) inches. b. Inside the small, fenced utility area provided the kill line remains inside the fence. c. Along buildings for weed control, provided the kill line is not noticeable, and the lack of vegetation does not promote any washout. 2.08 CLEAN-UP REQUIREMENTS (IF APPLICABLE) Clean up shall include the initial mowing and lawn care services required bringing the campus up to a well-groomed appearance following award of the contract. The cleanup may also include the following: a. All Fence lines shall be cleaned of all plant growth including all small utility fenced areas. b. All trees under twelve (12’) foot and shrubs shall be properly groomed and shaped. c. All flowerbeds shall have plants groomed and weeds removed. d. All street edges, curbs, and sidewalks shall be groomed and maintained. e. All trees on campus require a Twelve (12’) foot canopy. 2.09 MONTHLY SIGN-OFF SHEET The awarded contractor shall submit a completed copy of the Monthly Sign-off attached herein as Attachment I with their monthly invoice for the school site showing that each required function (mowing, edging, weed eating, etc.) was satisfactorily completed on each visit of stating why completion was not possible. The checklist should also show any problem areas and include comments or suggestions that may enhance the appearance of the site or be of general interest to the school. A designated weather-tight place will be assigned where the attached monthly (per visit) sign-off sheet must be; filled out and left for the Districts contact person to retrieve after each visit to confirm that the specified work is complete. 2.10 TIME FOR COMPLETION At the request of the Maintenance Departments representative, all work must be done according to the following schedule: All days after school, weekends, and/or holidays and summer break, providing there are no school or community activities on campus. The work must be completed in one (1) day, therefore requiring a minimum of a 3 - 5 person work team. The District reserves the right to reschedule the lawn care services, with advance notice, in the event special activities are planned on campus. In the event that the performance of the contractor is interrupted or delayed by unforeseen circumstances (hurricane, excessive rain, etc.) the contractor shall perform the scheduled maintenance within three working days or as otherwise agreed upon in writing by the Maintenance Departments representative. 2.11 CONTACT PERSON The successful vendor shall be notified by the Purchasing Department of the name and phone number of the District Contact Person. Only the Maintenance Contact Person may authorize changes in the scope of work. 2.12 ADDITIONAL SERVICES The District may request additional services from the awarded vendor through-out this contract. Services might include but are not limited to the following: a. Purchasing and installation of flowers, plants, and shrubs b. Landscaping modifications to enhance the school’s appearance 2.13 AMENDED SCOPE OF WORK The District reserves the right to re-negotiate the monthly fee for lawn care services in the event that the existing scope of work is changed for any reason. Any revisions to the original contract or price changes shall be negotiated through the Purchasing Department in the form of an Addendum to the bid documents and must be agreed to in writing by the District and the Contractor. The District reserves the right to re-bid this project if the changes in the scope of work so dictates. 2.14 UNSATISFACTORY WORK The vendor shall correct unsatisfactory work within 24 HOURS of notification by the School Board personnel.