Thornton Water Project - Fiber Optic Installation

THE CITY OF THORNTON
9500 CIVIC CENTER DRIVE
THORNTON, CO 80229-4326
Project Manual
For
Construction of
THORNTON WATER PROJECT -
FIBER OPTIC INSTALLATION
PROJECT NO. 12-777XFO
SEPTEMBER 2026

TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION TITLE
Table of Contents
Invitation for Bid Proposals
Information for Bidders
Procedure for Contract Signing
Bid Proposal
Contractor's Qualifications
Reference Authorization and Release Form
Post-Qualification Questionnaire
Bidder's Post-Qualification Affidavit
Non-Disclosure Agreement
Contract
Addenda
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INVITATION FOR BID PROPOSALS
City of Thornton
9500 Civic Center Drive
Thornton, CO 80229-4326
Sealed Bid Proposals for construction of the Thornton Water Project - Fiber Optic
Installation, Project No. 12-777XFO will be received in the Contract Administration Office
at the City of Thornton (Thornton) City Hall (2nd floor), 9500 Civic Center Drive, until 2:00
p.m., Thursday, October 8, 2026. At that time, the bid will be publicly opened and read
aloud.
Note: Late Proposals will not be accepted under any circumstances. Vendors electing to
submit their bid via mail or courier service accept all responsibility for delivery to the
Contract Administration Office by the bid closing time indicated. Thornton is not responsible
for lost or late delivery of bid proposals.
CONFIDENTIALITY and SECURITY: This Project includes installation of critical and
sensitive water infrastructure. Therefore, Thornton is implementing enhanced security
measures throughout the Project to protect sensitive project information. Interested bidders
will be required to complete a NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT (NDA) as well as the
Pre-Qualification Questionnaire for access to the plans and specifications. NDA's and
Questionnaires will be collected at the mandatory pre-bid meeting. Contractors with
completed NDA's and required qualifications will be given a link to download the Plans and
Specifications.
Project Description: The City of Thornton is seeking qualified contractors to submit their
qualifications and bids for a fiber optic installation project extending from Fort Collins,
Colorado, to Thornton, Colorado. The project generally consists of installing trunk and
branch fiber optic cable within existing and new conduit systems, including associated
horizontal directional drilling, handholes, splicing, and terminations.
The Work consists of:
1. Trunk Fiber Optic Installation: Installing approximately 70.6 miles of 72-strand
trunk fiber optic cable inside existing conduit and pull boxes from Fort Collins,
Colorado, to Thornton, Colorado. Pull boxes are generally spaced approximately
every 1,000 feet.
2. Branch Fiber Optic Installation: Installing approximately 1,200 feet of 24-strand
branch fiber optic cable inside existing conduit between the 72-strand trunk fiber
optic cable and terminal cabinets at six (6) remote locations along the trunk fiber
optic route. The 24-strand branch cable will be spliced to the 72-strand trunk cable
and terminated within cabinets to be installed by others.
3. Horizontal Directional Drilling and Associated Improvements: Installing
approximately 1,400 feet of three (3) 2-inch-diameter conduits using horizontal
directional drilling techniques, installing approximately 1,400 feet of 24-strand and
72-strand fiber optic cable, six (6) handholes, and associated splicing and
terminations.
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A MANDATORY Pre-Bid Conference will be held in the Community Room, at the
Infrastructure Maintenance Center at 12450 Washington St., Thornton, CO at 1:00
p.m, Tuesday, September 22, 2026. All Prospective Bidders are required to attend.
Each Bid Proposal shall be submitted on form(s) furnished by Thornton and must be
accompanied by a certified check, cashier's check, or bid bond in an amount of not less
than five percent (5%) of the amount of the Bid Proposal and made payable to the City of
Thornton.
The successful Bidder will be required to furnish a Performance Bond and a Labor and
Material Payment Bond, each in the amount of one hundred percent (100%) of the total
Contract Price, in conformity with the requirements of the Contract Documents.
The successful Bidder will be determined on the basis of the lowest responsive and
responsible Bid Proposal. Thornton based businesses may be granted consideration in
evaluation of Bid Proposals, if they meet the following criteria:
A. The business maintains an office, manufacturing, training, retail, or repair
facility within Thornton city limits;
B. The business has a current Thornton business license;
C. The business is current on all Thornton obligations; and
D. The Bidder requests the consideration on the Bid Proposal Form and
supplies the necessary documentation.
All nonmonetary bid criteria being equal, Thornton business' Bid Proposals will be
discounted for the purpose of evaluating the Bid Proposal prices when compared to non-
Thornton-based businesses by the lesser of five percent (5%) of the Bid Proposal price
or ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
Thornton reserves the right to reject any or all Bid Proposals, to waive any informalities or
irregularities in the Bid Proposals received, and to accept the Bid Proposal which in its
judgment best serves the interests of Thornton. The apparent successful Bidder will be
required to complete a Reference Authorization and Release Form.
All questions shall be directed in writing to Patrick Hinterberger, Contracts Supervisor, 9500
Civic Center Drive, Thornton, CO 80229-4326, e-mail -
patrick.hinterberger@thorntonCO.gov, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., local time, Monday through
Friday, excluding holidays.
Date First Published: September 10, 2026
Published at: BidNet Direct, COT Website and the Contracts & Purchasing Bulletin Board.
BY:
Patrick Hinterberger
Contracts Supervisor
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INFORMATION FOR BIDDERS
Thornton may consider non-conforming any Bid Proposal not prepared and submitted in
accordance with the provisions hereof and may waive any informalities or reject any and
all Bid Proposals.
Bidder may, without prejudice, withdraw a Bid Proposal after it has been deposited with
Thornton, provided the request for such withdrawal is received by Thornton, in writing,
before the deadline set for submission of Bid Proposals. Telephonic communications
withdrawing a Bid Proposal will not be accepted.
Any Bidder may modify its Bid Proposal in writing any time prior to the scheduled deadline
for submission of Bid Proposals, provided such modification is received by Thornton prior
to the Bid Proposal submission deadline. The modification shall not reveal the Bid Proposal
price, but shall provide only the addition or subtraction or other modification so that the final
prices or terms will not be known by Thornton until the original sealed Bid Proposal is
opened.
Any Bid Proposal received after the time and date deadline specified will not be considered.
After opening of Bid Proposals, a Bid Proposal may not be withdrawn by the Bidder for a
period of sixty (60) Calendar Days, or as otherwise required by law. Each Bid Proposal
must be accompanied by either a certified check or a cashier's check made payable to The
City of Thornton, or a Bid Bond duly executed by the Bidder as principal and having as
Surety thereon a Surety company approved by Thornton, in the amount of five percent (5%)
of the total Bid Proposal amount. Such checks or Bid Bonds of the three (3) lowest Bidders
may be retained by Thornton for a period of sixty (60) Calendar Days after the Bid Proposal
opening. Other Bidders' Bid Proposal security will be returned within seven (7) Calendar
Days from Thornton's receipt of request.
Each Bid Proposal must be submitted on the Bid Proposal form(s) provided by
Thornton and must be signed by the Bidder or its duly authorized agent. All blank spaces
for Bid Proposal prices must be filled in, in ink or typewritten, IN BOTH WORDS AND
NUMERALS, where called for in the Bid Proposal.
If there is a discrepancy between the total price in words and the total price in numbers, the
total price in words will govern. If there is a discrepancy between the Unit or Lump Sum
Prices multiplied by the respective quantities and the extended Bid Proposal Prices for
individual Pay Items, the Unit Price or Lump Sum Prices multiplied by the respective
quantity shall be the governing number, and the extended price or prices and the resulting
Total Price will be adjusted accordingly.
Conditional Bid Proposals will not be accepted.
Each Bid Proposal must be submitted in a sealed envelope bearing on the outside the
name of the Bidder, Bidder's address, and the name of the Project and the Project Number
for which the Bid Proposal is submitted. If submitted by mail, package delivery, or courier
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service, a sealed envelope containing the Bid Proposal must be enclosed in a mailing
envelope addressed to the Contracts and Purchasing Director, 9500 Civic Center Drive,
2nd Floor City Hall, Thornton, CO 80229-4326. Please be sure to note on the outside of the
mailing envelope "Bid Proposal Enclosed, Thornton Water Project - Fiber Optic
Installation, Project No. 12-777XFO".
Upon receipt of Notice of Award and simultaneously with the delivery of the executed
Bonds, the Contractor shall furnish its IRS W-9 Taxpayer ID Form, the Affidavit if required,
the required insurance certificate(s), required endorsements thereto, ACORD Form 101 if
required, Performance and Labor and Material Payment Bonds as security for faithful
performance of the Contract and for the payment of all persons performing labor in
connection with the Work covered under the Contract and furnishing materials in
connection with the Contract, as specified in the Contract Documents. The Surety on such
Bonds shall be a duly authorized Surety company satisfactory to Thornton. Attorneys-in-
fact who sign Bid Bonds or Performance and Labor and Material Payment Bonds must file
with each bond a certified and effectively dated copy of their Power of Attorney. The Surety
or Sureties must be listed in Federal Circular 570 and must be approved by Thornton. In
no case will Sureties with less than a Best's A rating be approved. Insurers, at a minimum,
are required to be admitted in the State of Colorado and maintain an A.M. Best Financial
Strength Rating of A or higher.
The successful Bidder, upon Bidder's failure or refusal to execute and deliver the required
Contract, Bonds if required, insurance certificate(s), additional insured endorsements,
ACORD Form 101 if required, and/or the W-9 Form within ten (10) Calendar Days from and
including the date of Notice of Award, shall forfeit to Thornton the security deposited with
its Bid Proposal. Notice of Thornton's intent to retain the bid security shall either be hand
delivered by Thornton to the Bidder's address, as given on the Bid Proposal form, or mailed
to such address, first class, United States mail, return receipt requested. Delivery or mailing
of the notice to the address provided shall constitute the required notice without the
requirement of an acknowledgment of receipt from the Bidder.
Each Bidder must inform itself fully of the conditions relating to the construction of the Work
and the employment of labor thereon. Failure to do so will not relieve a successful Bidder
of its obligation to furnish all Materials and Equipment and labor necessary to carry out the
requirements of the Contract Documents. Insofar as possible, the Bidder, in carrying out
its Work, must employ such methods or means as will not cause any interruption of or
interference with the work of any other contractor.
The Bidder's attention is directed to the fact that all applicable state laws, municipal
ordinances, and the rules and regulations of all authorities having jurisdiction over
construction of the Work shall apply to the Contract throughout, and will be deemed to be
included in the Contract the same as though herein written out in full.
No interpretation of the meaning of the Drawings, Specifications, Addenda, other Bid
Documents, Contract Documents, or Pre-Bid Meeting Minutes will be made to any Bidder
orally. If a Bidder who contemplates submitting a Bid Proposal is in doubt about the precise
meaning of any part of the proposed Contract Documents, it may submit to Thornton a
written request for an interpretation. Every request for such interpretation shall be in writing
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addressed to Patrick Hinterberger, Contracts Supervisor, 9500 Civic Center Drive,
Thornton, CO 80229-4326, e-mail - patrick.hinterberger@thorntonCO.gov, and to be
given consideration it must be received by 5:00 p.m., on the tenth (10th) Calendar Day prior
to the date fixed for the submission of Bid Proposals. The Bidder submitting the request
will be responsible for its prompt and actual delivery. Thornton will not be responsible for
any other explanations or interpretations of the Contract Documents which anyone may
make on behalf of Thornton. Any and all such interpretations and any supplemental
instructions will be in the form of written Addenda to the Bid Documents or to the Contract
Documents which, if issued, will be posted on BidNet Direct System's website at
www.BidNetDirect.com and on the Contract Administration bulletin board no later than
three (3) Calendar Days prior to the date fixed for submission of Bid Proposals. Failure of
any Bidder to receive any such Addenda or interpretation shall not relieve such Bidder from
any obligation under its Bid Proposal, as submitted. All Addenda so issued shall become
part of the Contract Documents. It shall be the responsibility of each Bidder to verify that
each Addendum has been received. A bulletin board will be maintained at the Contract
Administration Office which will list the current Projects with Bid Proposal due dates and all
Addenda, including the date of issue for each. It is recommended that all Bidders check
this board for the status of the particular Project they are interested in bidding prior to
submitting a Bid Proposal.
At the time of submission of a Bid Proposal, each Bidder shall have completed a thorough
site inspection including, but not limited to, the location, accessibility, and general character
of the site of the Work and all existing buildings and structures within and adjacent to the
Project site, sufficient to satisfy itself as to the nature of the Work, the condition of existing
buildings and structures, the conformation of the ground, the character, quality, and the
nature of any Construction Equipment, and any other facilities needed preliminary to and
during construction of the Work, the general and local conditions, the construction hazards,
and all other matters, including the labor situation, which might affect the Work. The Bidder
also will have carefully examined and be thoroughly familiar with the Contract Documents,
including all Addenda, and satisfied itself as to the feasibility and correctness of the Contract
Documents for the construction of the Work and that it accepts all terms, conditions, and
stipulations contained in the Contract Documents, and is prepared to work in peace and
harmony with other contractors performing work at the Project site. Bidders also shall have
reviewed the insurance requirements contained in the Contract Documents. The failure or
omission of any Bidder to examine any form, instrument, or document shall in no way
relieve any Bidder from any obligation in respect to its Bid Proposal. The Bidder is to
confirm the completeness of the Contract Documents on which its Bid Proposal is based.
If the Bidder determines its Contract Documents are incomplete or irregular, it is the
Bidder's responsibility to bring this fact to the attention of the Contract Administrator prior
to submitting a Bid Proposal.
Thornton invites Bid Proposals on the form(s) included as part of this document to be
submitted at such time and place as stated in the Invitation for Bid Proposals. All blanks in
the Bid Proposal forms must be appropriately filled in with typewriter or ink. Bidders are
instructed to submit the entire Bid Proposal form. It is the sole responsibility of the
Bidder to see that the Bid Proposal is received by Thornton before the scheduled
deadline set for submission of Bid Proposals. Any Bid Proposals received after the
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scheduled deadline for submission of Bid Proposals will be returned to the Bidder
unopened.
The Bid Proposal must be signed in the name of the Bidder and must bear the signature in
long hand of the person or persons duly authorized to sign the Bid Proposal. Changes in
or additions to the Bid Proposal forms, recapitulations of the Work bid upon, alternative Bid
Proposals not requested by Thornton, or any other modifications of the Bid Proposal which
are not specifically called for in the Bid Documents, the Contract Documents, or an
Addendum may be rejected by Thornton as not being responsive to the solicitation.
Bid Proposals shall be made in the name of the principal, and if a co-partnership, the names
of all partners shall be given. Exact postal address shall be given in all cases. If Bid
Proposals are submitted by an agent, satisfactory evidence of agency authority must
accompany the Bid Proposal. Corporate Bidders, to be eligible to enter into a Contract with
Thornton, shall be qualified to do business in the State of Colorado and Thornton. Bidders
shall comply with applicable licensing requirements. Firms which have not become
licensed in Thornton shall obtain a permit to do business in Thornton pursuant to Thornton's
requirements prior to submission of a Bid Proposal.
The Bid Proposal submitted must not contain erasures, corrections, or changes from the
printed forms as completed in typewriter or ink, unless such erasures, corrections, or
changes are authenticated by affixing in the margin immediately opposite the erasure,
correction, or change, the initials of the person who signed the Bid Proposal or the initials
of such other person as may be authorized by the Bidder to make erasures, corrections, or
changes in the Bid Proposal, and such authorization must be evidenced by written
confirmation, executed by the person authorized to sign the initial Bid Proposal, attached
to the Bid Proposal at the time of submittal.
Bid Proposals may be considered non-conforming and may be rejected for any of the
following reasons, unless otherwise provided by law:
1. If the Bid Proposal form(s) furnished to the Bidder by Thornton is not used or
is altered;
2. If there are unauthorized additions or conditional Bid Proposals, or irregularities
of any kind which may tend to make the Bid Proposal incomplete, indefinite, or
ambiguous as to its meaning;
3. If the Bidder adds any provisions reserving the right to accept or reject any
Contract award or to enter into a Contract pursuant to an award;
4. If the Unit Prices or Lump Sum Prices contained in the Bid Proposal are
unbalanced either above or below reasonable cost analysis values as
determined by Thornton;
5. If the Bid Proposal Pay Item price for mobilization exceeds ten percent (10%)
of the total Contract Price;
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6. If the Bidder fails to insert a price for every Bid Proposal Pay Item indicated;
or;
7. If the Bidder fails to complete the Bid Proposal in any other particulars where
information is requested so Bidder's Proposal may be properly evaluated.
Thornton reserves the right to reject any or all Bid Proposals and to waive
irregularities or informalities as may be deemed in Thornton's best interest.
Thornton reserves the right to reject any Bid Proposal if investigation of such Bidder fails to
satisfy Thornton that such Bidder is properly qualified to carry out the obligations and to
complete the Work contemplated by the Contract Documents. Any or all Bid Proposals will
be rejected if there is reason to believe that collusion exists among Bidders.
Thornton reserves the right to prequalify Bidders, to post-qualify Bidders, to reject all Bid
Proposals, not to make an award, and/or to accept the Bid Proposal deemed most
advantageous and in the best interest of Thornton. The Bidder must comply with all
information and instructions for Bidders. The Award of the Contract, if made by Thornton,
will be made by written Notice of Award to a qualified, responsible, responsive, and
trustworthy Bidder submitting the lowest and best Bid Proposal, but Thornton shall
determine in its sole discretion whether a Bidder is responsible, responsive, qualified, and
trustworthy to perform the Contract, whether by prequalification, post-qualification, or other
methods, and which Bid Proposal is the lowest and best and whether it is in the best interest
of Thornton to accept the Bid Proposal. Thornton reserves the right to request financial
statements, together with a Bidder's Post Qualification Form, which includes a statement
of past experience, personnel resumes, Construction Equipment available to perform the
Work, the Bidder's proposed Schedule of Work, and other qualification information, from
any Bidder considered for award of a Contract. Failure or refusal to furnish such
qualification information, or failure to provide a satisfactory statement of financial
responsibility, shall constitute a basis for disqualifying any Bidder. In evaluating whether
the Bidder is responsible, Thornton, in its sole discretion, may consider such things as
whether the Bidder is in arrears to Thornton under any obligation; has an unacceptable
performance or claims history with Thornton or with other owners; is not trustworthy; has
submitted false information in the past, or is currently involved in a dispute with Thornton.
Thornton also reserves the right to require evidence of satisfactory operation of any
Construction Equipment required to be used to perform the Work. Thornton will consider
the Bid Proposals and reserves the right to reject any or all Bid Proposals, to pass upon
the regularity, or waive any irregularity or informality, of the Bidders and the acceptability of
the Surety offered.
Prior to bidding, requests to substitute Materials or Equipment from those specified shall
be made in writing and shall identify the Material or Equipment, or the fabrication or
installation method to be replaced, in each request and shall include related Specification
sections and Drawing numbers. The Bidder shall provide complete documentation
showing compliance with the requirements for substitutions, and the following information,
as appropriate:
1. Product data, including Drawings and descriptions of products, fabrication and
installation procedures;
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2. Samples, where applicable or requested;
3. A detailed comparison of significant qualities of the proposed substitution with
those of the Work specified. Significant qualities may include elements such
as size, weight, durability, performance, and visual effect;
4. Coordination information, including a list of changes or modifications needed
to other parts of the Work and to construction performed by Thornton and
separate contractors, which will become necessary to accommodate the
proposed substitution;
5. Any additional information Thornton may request.
All requests for substitution shall be submitted in writing to the Contract Administrator, and
all such requests shall be received by Thornton no later than 5:00 p.m., on the tenth (10th)
Calendar Day prior to the Bid Proposal submittal date. If any additional Material or
Equipment is approved, the information will be published in an Addendum prior to the Bid
Proposal submittal date. All Bid Proposals shall be based only on approved or specified
Materials and Equipment. Thornton is not obligated to approve substitutions, either before
Bid Proposal submission or after Notice of Award, regardless of whether Material,
Equipment, or process is considered equivalent.
The successful Bidder, upon award of a Contract, shall commence Work on the date
specified in the Notice to Proceed and shall diligently prosecute the Work and shall
substantially complete all Work within the Contract Time. Should the Contractor fail to
substantially complete all Work in the allotted time period, Liquidated Damages may be
assessed.
At the Pre-Construction Meeting or within fourteen (14) Calendar Days after Notice of
Award, whichever occurs sooner, the successful Bidder shall submit to Thornton a
preliminary schedule showing the order in which the Bidder proposes to carry out the Work
to successfully construct all of the Work within the Contract Time. This schedule shall be
in addition to any other schedule requirements contained in the Contract Documents. Such
preliminary schedule shall show the dates on which the Bidder will start and complete the
parts of the Work and the order of construction and delivery dates of critical Materials and
Equipment. The preliminary schedule shall be subject to acceptance by Thornton. The
schedule shall be binding on the Bidder and shall be adhered to by the Bidder unless, for
good cause shown, a modification of schedule shall be requested in writing to Thornton
and approved by Thornton in accordance with the General Conditions of the Contract.
All reports, diagrams, drawings, etc., provided by the Vendor to Thornton shall be in an
electronic format that is usable to Thornton (e.g., Adobe PDF, Microsoft Office, etc.) either
through email or download, which shall become the property of Thornton. All reports
generated and submitted by the awarded Vendor to Thornton shall adhere to the State of
Colorado's Anti-Discrimination Act ("CADA"), including all digital accessibility
requirements. As of 2021, House Bill 21-1110 and related regulations (8 CCR 1501-11)
promulgated by the State of Colorado's Office of Information Technology ("OIT") require all
local government technology and electronic documents (i.e., Reports generated in Adobe
PDF, Word, etc.) to meet or exceed the applicable Website Content Accessibility
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