ITB 094 DISTRICT 11 LAWNCARE SERVICES
REQUIREMENTS/SPECIFICATIONS
Section 1: Intent
The purpose of this request is to establish pricing for lawn care, landscaping services and identified
project materials and services for approximately 11 acres of property at the sites indicated below, all in
accordance with the enclosed terms, conditions, and specifications. Vendor shall provide all labor,
equipment, material, and incidental items necessary to perform the contracted services.
Section 2: Contract Duration
The effective duration of this agreement shall be from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027,
with one (1) optional one (1) year renewal that could extend the end date to no later than December 31,
2028.
Section 3: Award
Award will be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder based on the lump sum cost for the
three (3) year contract term all in accordance with the specifications herein.
Vendors must submit their Bid Responses electronically in OhioBuys before the published deadline date &
time, Columbus, Ohio local time on the Proposal due date. Vendors will not be able to submit Bid
Responses or unsolicited Proposal amendments after the deadline.
Vendors must allow adequate time for uploading a Bid Response prior to the due date and time. ODOT
recommends that vendors submit Bid Responses as early as possible. If a second round is issued for any
reason, vendors must resubmit their bid if they had already submitted in a previous round, as the
previously submitted Bid Responses do NOT carry over to the new round.
The Signature process takes place after the award now. The email will come from
documents@esign.ohio.gov and will go to the signatory that was identified in the bid submission. The
subject line will be the bid # Signature Request, (example: 132-26 Signature Request).
No contract can be issued to your company until we receive your signature to complete the process. And
you must have an OAKS Payor ID before a contract can be issued. To obtain that, you will need to go into
https://ohiopays.ohio.gov.
Section 4: Mandatory Vendor Requirements
It is a requirement of the contract that the vendor and its employees must have performed services
comparable to those required by this contract and provide proof of current liability insurance coverage in
order to be considered a responsive and responsible bidder.
4.1: References
Each bidder must have a minimum of five (5) years’ experience in performing the services required by this
contract. Therefore, each bidder shall submit with their bid, the name, email address, organization,
address, and telephone number of at least three (3) references with whom they have provided like
services to for at least five (5) years.
It is a requirement of the contract that the vendor and its employees must have performed services
comparable to those required by this contract in order to be considered a responsive and responsible
bidder.
Rev. 05/27/2025
1
4.2: Public Liability Insurance
Each bidder shall furnish with their bid submission, proof that they carry public liability insurance with
limits of not less than three hundred thousand ($300,000) dollars for any one person and one million
($1,000,000) dollars for any one occurrence.
All insurance policies required under this section shall include an endorsement requiring the insurance
company to give thirty (30) days prior written notice to ODOT before any change of cancellation becomes
effective. All insurance policies shall be through insurance companies licensed to conduct business in the
State.
Section 5: Service Location
Lawn care and landscaping services will be performed at the following locations and unit pricing shall
include freight charges on all items required:
SITE #1
Ohio Department of Transportation
District 11 Headquarters Facility
2201 Reiser Avenue S.E.
New Philadelphia, OH 44663-3333
SITE #2
District 11 Old Tuscarawas County Garage
384 Stonecreek Road SW
New Philadelphia, OH 44663
Vendors are encouraged to visit the site to fully understand all the requirements of this Invitation. Those
interested may contact:
District 11 Facilities Program Administrator
Shannon Blocker
2201 Reiser Avenue S.E.
New Philadelphia, OH 44663-3333
shannon.blocker@dot.ohio.gov
330-308-3910
Section 6: General Requirements
All work must be performed in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act and any revisions
thereto. Any citations issued by OSHA shall be the responsibility of the Vendor.
• The vendor shall bring all tools, chemicals, and materials, etc., with them to each site visit and take all
items with them when finished. No on-site storage shall be provided by ODOT.
• All work shall be performed to not interfere with building operation or if such interference is kept to a
minimum. The vendor shall leave all areas neat and clean when finished.
• It shall be understood that, from time to time, sites may be opened or closed during the life of the
contract. Any potential changes in service locations and revised pricing, where applicable, shall be
mutually agreed upon by the District Facilities Program Administrator or their designated
representative, the awarded vendor and the Department and shall be included in or removed from the
contract.
Rev. 05/27/2025
2
• The Vendor shall always provide and utilize Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for their employees as
appropriate. PPE includes but is not limited to substantial footwear, eye and face protection, hearing
protection, and gloves
Section 7: Scope of Service
Lawn care and landscaping services for the approximately 11 acres of property maintained shall take place
between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM Monday through Friday, excluding state observed holidays. Work outside
of these timeframes shall require a forty-eight (48) hour advance approval of the District Facilities
Program Administrator or their designated representative. A site plan identifying the areas to be
maintained follows these specifications.
7.1: Site #1 Services
7.1.1: Pre-Season Cleanup
Execute a pre-season cleanup of each site in preparation for the growing season between March 1 and
April 30. The cleanup may be done by manual raking, vacuuming, or equipment mounted devices used for
this type of cleanup. Minimum services required are as follows:
• Cleaning/Raking of lawn area to remove leaves and debris. The contractor is responsible for removing
leaves, limbs, twigs, and debris from site.
• Trimming/pruning of bushes, shrubs, hedges, ornamental trees, ornamental grasses and or brush. The
contractor is responsible for removing leaves, limbs, twigs, and debris from site.
• Spot thatch apply topsoil and seeding of lawn as needed.
• Level out, rake, and reseed area around roadways or parking area, as needed, which were damaged by
snow removal operations the prior winter.
7.1.2: Edging
All sidewalks, curb lines, concrete slabs and planting bed edges shall be mechanically edged to maintain a
neat, clean appearance. Plant beds and tree rings shall be edged two times between April 1 and August
31 of each year. Sidewalks curb lines and concrete slabs shall be edged once per month from April to
October each year.
All edging debris shall be swept, blown clean, and otherwise disposed of. This shall be reflected in your
unit price for edging.
7.1.3: Install Dark Hardwood Mulch
Vendors shall provide a labor only quote to install hardwood mulch, applied at a depth of 2-3 inches in all
beds and tree rings on the property between April 15 and June 30 Annually. An allowance is indicated on
the pricing spreadsheet to cover the material costs. Vendors shall present samples of mulch to the
District Facilities Program Administrator or their designated representative for final selection prior to
installation of hardwood mulch at the sites. Vendor will provide the Department with actual invoices for
the product purchased to verify markup percentage. If the product selected by the Department is
expected to exceed the allowance in the contract, the vendor shall provide a quote for the mulch
materials to the District Facilities Program Administrator or their designated representative for approval
prior to commencing work.
At the end of mulch installation, walks and curbs adjacent to work areas that are used for bulk storage are
to be swept or blown clean.
7.1.4: Pesticide Application to Plant Materials, Trees, and Shrubs
Rev. 05/27/2025
3
Prior to initiation of service, the contractor shall conduct a thorough initial inspection of each site and
submit to the District Facilities Program Administrator or their designated representative, a written,
systematic, and comprehensive Pest Control Plan for each site following the initial inspection. Upon
receipt of the Pest Control Plan, the District Facilities Program Administrator or their designated
representative will render a decision. If aspects of the Pest Control Plan are incomplete or disapproved,
the Contractor shall submit revisions in a timely manner. The Contractor shall initiate services outlined in
the terms and conditions of the contract following notice of approval.
The Pest Control Plan shall, at a minimum, include:
• Proposed methods for control, including labels and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for all pesticides
to be used
• A proposed pest population level referred to as a predetermined tolerance threshold, if thresholds exist
for the targeted pest
• A service schedule for each site
• A copy of the Pesticide Applicator Certification for every Contractor's representative who will be
performing on-site service under contract
• Cost per recommended service including labor and materials
The Contractor shall not apply any pesticide product that has not been included in the Pest Control Plan
or approved in writing by the District Facilities Program Administrator or their designated representative.
Pesticide application shall be according to need and not by schedule. As a rule, application of pesticides
shall not occur unless visual inspections or monitoring devices indicate the presence of pests in that
specific area.
Preventive pesticide treatments of areas determined to be at high risk for infestation by weeds, insects, or
disease, through inspection at the onset of the program or as part of a maintenance program, are
acceptable.
Products are to be applied by an applicator licensed by the Ohio Department of Agriculture in the
appropriate category and in accordance with all applicable rules and regulations.
7.1.5: Weeding
Vendors shall remove all weeds in flower beds, tree rings, artwork, sidewalks, curbs, gutters, and islands in
the parking lot weekly or as the weeds emerge between April 1 and November 30 annually. Dispose of
weeds off-site. Pre and post-emergent herbicides may be used at the vendor's option. Plant material, other
than weeds, killed by application of herbicides will be replaced at the vendor’s expense. The cost of all weed
control work shall be included in the Pest Control Plan pricing. This task will only be considered complete
when weeds from all beds, tree rings, artwork, sidewalks, curbs, gutters, and islands in the parking lot are
removed. Inspections by the District Facilities Program Administrator or their designated representative will
be performed to determine if this task has been completed in accordance with the Pest Control Plan.
7.1.6: Turf Management
7.1.6.1: Fertilizer Application to Turf
Upon request by the District Facilities Program Administrator or their designated representative, and prior
to any application of fertilizer, contractor shall take representative soil samples from each site and have
them professionally analyzed to establish baseline soil conditions. From the baseline soil condition
reports, the vendor shall develop a written, systematic, comprehensive turf fertilization program that
results in a hearty, weed, insect and disease-free lawn. Contractors shall submit the same to the District
Facilities Program Administrator or their designated representative for review and approval.
Rev. 05/27/2025
4
The program shall, at a minimum, include:
• Soil analysis reports for each site
• Recommended soil amendment(s) frequency and schedule
• Recommended fertilization frequency and schedule
• Recommended fertilizer composition for each application
• Cost per application including labor and fertilizer required based on the bid hourly rates and
material markup percentage
Turf shall be fertilized at all sites as recommended by the results of the soil analysis and vendor experience
and applied in accordance with all applicable rules and regulations, utilizing industry best practices by an
applicator certified by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
7.1.6.2: Aeration
Vendor shall perform Aeration of turf surfaces to remove turf soil plugs to a depth of 2 to 4 inches over
the entire lawn using a piston driven aerator with 5/8-inch diameter core cutters. Aerator shall have up
and down coring motion leaving clearly defined holes by pulling the cores from the soil. This task is to be
performed during the early fall.
7.1.6.3: Mowing and Trimming
Vendor shall mow and trim lawn areas at all sites, at frequencies determined by vendor experience and
actual turf growth, to assure the grass is maintained between three (3) and four (4) inches in height for
approximately thirty (30) cuts per season between April 1 and November 30 annually. If conditions
require more than the base thirty (30) seasonal cuts, the vendor shall provide additional cuts at the same
bid rate upon prior approval from the District Facilities Program Administrator or their designated
representative to provide the necessary service.
Keep all walkways, parking lots, entryways, courtyards, and heliport areas free of grass cuttings and debris.
Mow in direction to avoid blowing cuttings onto parked cars. (Notify District Facilities Program
Administrator or their designated representative of mowing schedule so cars can be moved if necessary).
Trimming of grass shall take place within two (2) days of mowing and as needed to keep a neat edge
between the buildings, fences, and the lawn. Fence line trimming may require the application of chemical
treatment to control growth.
Vendors shall remove prior to and during mowing all litter, fallen leaves and branches weekly during the
period from April 1 to November 30 annually.
Rake leaves from all walkways, parking lots, entryways, and courtyards weekly during the period of April 1
to November 30. The contractor is responsible for removing leaves, limbs, twigs, and debris from site.
Note: Mowing shall not be performed when it is raining or if the grass is still wet. Not more than 1/3 of
the total blade shall be removed during any single mowing event. During droughts, lawns will not be
mowed unless requested by the appropriate district Facilities Maintenance Supervisor or their designated
representative.
7.1.7: Plantings Management
The Contractor shall utilize best management practices for the management of all plantings on site. A
licensed Arborist employed by the company will be expected to annually assess soil conditions to identify
any potential problems that may cause harm to plantings such as soil compaction, contamination,
trenching or digging near the plantings.
Rev. 05/27/2025
5
This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.