Title
Contract for Grounds Maintenance Services at GRU Eastside Operations Center (B)
Explanation
When GRU obtained its Certificate of Occupancy in August 2011 for the newly completed Eastside Operations Center (EOC), care of the recently installed sod, rooftop garden and landscaping plants and trees were turned over from the Construction Manager at Risk firm to GRU’s Facilities Maintenance staff. As is customary with new plantings, a one-year warranty ensured that the plants were sustainable. If the plantings did not survive during the course of the year, the landscaping contractor would be required to replace the plants at no cost to GRU.
To perform grounds maintenance services at the EOC during this transitional period, GRU used its two incumbent grounds maintenance contractors from vacated facilities while GRU developed a specification for the new property. The new contract includes mowing, shrub and tree pruning, edging, string line trimming, hand weeding and maintaining flower beds, with special consideration of the wetland areas. Of the 118 acre parcel, approximately 60 acres are maintained under this contract.
Invitations to Bid were sent to 25 prospective grounds maintenance companies and the bid was posted on the GRU website. A mandatory pre-bid meeting and walk-through of the EOC was held with thirteen companies in attendance. Eleven responses were received, including one no bid.
One bid was deemed nonresponsive by Purchasing due to its unbalanced, low bid price which was approximately one half the cost of the next lowest bidder and two thirds less in cost than the other eight bidders. While a low bid may appear to offer monetary savings, an unreasonably low price may suggest a lack of understanding of the requirements and the work quality may suffer, or the contractor may default on the contract. The bidder submitted a bid protest which was reviewed by the Purchasing Manager. Since the information contained in the bid protest did not ...
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