Country Lane Bank Stabilization

CONTRACT DOCUMENTS
FOR
COUNTRY LANE BANK
STABILIZATION
FOR
TOWN OF HARTFORD
HARTFORD, VERMONT
March 13, 2026
Project No. 13469
ISSUED FOR BIDDING
PATHWAYS CONSULTING, LLC
Planning * Civil & Environmental Engineering * Surveying * Construction Assistance
240 Mechanic Street * Suite 100
Lebanon, New Hampshire 03766
(603) 448-2200 * Fax: (603) 448-1221

CONTRACT DOCUMENTS
for
TOWN OF HARTFORD
COUNTRY LANE BANK STABILIZATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Advertisement for Bids i
Instructions for Bidders ii to vii
Bid Proposal BP-1 to BP-7
Agreement A-1 to A-3
Performance Bond PB-1 to PB-2
Payment Bond PB-3 to PB-5
General Conditions GC-1 to GC-32
Notice of Award E-1 to E-2
Notice to Proceed F-1
Change Order O-1
Contractor's Affidavit W-1
Contractor's Release W-2 to W-3
Certificate of Substantial Completion C-1 to C-2
Certificate of Final Completion C-3
SPECIFICATIONS
DIVISION 01
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Section No. Pages
01 10 00 Summary 2
01 10 10 Mobilization 2
01 10 30 Miscellaneous Work and Cleanup 2
01 10 40 Specifications and Drawings 2
01 10 90 Abbreviations and Terms 2
01 15 00 Measurement and Payment 10
01 40 00 Quality Requirements 5
01 55 26 Construction Traffic Controls 7
01 60 10 Submittals 2
01 70 00 Execution and Closeout Requirements 3
DIVISION 03
CONCRETE
Section No. Pages
03 30 20 Precast Concrete Structures 4

DIVISION 31
SITE WORK
Section No. Pages
31 14 00 Earth Stripping and Stockpiling 2
31 23 00 Excavation and Fill 7
31 23 16.13 Trenching 6
31 23 16.26 Rock Removal 3
31 23 19 Dewatering 4
31 23 23.23 Compaction 5
31 25 00 Erosion and Sedimentation Controls 4
DIVISION 32
EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS
Section No. Pages
32 92 00 Lawns and Grasses 5
DIVISION 33
UTILITIES
Section No. Pages
33 01 10.10 Existing Utilities and Underground Structures 2
33 41 00 Storm Utility Drainage Piping 3
33 44 00 Storm Utility Water Drains 3
BID PLANS
[Pathways Plans entitled "Construction Plans for Town of Hartford - Country Lane Bank
Stabilization," Sheets 1 through 5 (6 total sheets with cover), dated March 13, 2026.]

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
COUNTRY LANE BANK STABILIZATION
TOWN OF HARTFORD
HARTFORD, VERMONT
The Town of Hartford invites sealed bids for the Country Lane Bank Stabilization Project in
Hartford, Vermont (VT) in accordance with Contract Documents prepared by Pathways
Consulting, LLC, 240 Mechanic Street, Suite 100, Lebanon, NH 03766.
SCOPE OF WORK: Work includes, but is not limited to: permanent stabilization of
approximately 2,900 square feet of the failing embankment on the westerly side of Country
Lane, including an unnamed stream bank at the toe of the embankment, with stone fill and
heavy-type riprap; removal of temporary concrete barriers; a 15-inch CMP culvert; installation of
an 18-inch HDPE culvert with precast concrete headwall; guardrail installation; realignment,
regrading, and replacement of a 120-foot portion of Country Lane; and incidental site work.
BIDS: Sealed bids will be received at the Town of Hartford Town Manager's office, 171 Bridge
Street, White River Junction, VT 05001 up to 2:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on Friday,
March 27, 2026. Bids must be submitted in accordance with the "Instructions for Bidders"
section of the Contract Documents. Bids will be publicly opened at said office and read out
loud.
The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any informality in the bid.
CONTRACT COMPLETION TIME: Work is expected to begin in early April. All sod and
turf establishment work must be completed prior to July 1, 2026. Substantial Completion shall
be achieved by July 1, 2026, and Final Completion shall be achieved by July 14, 2026.
PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS: Contract documents may be examined at the following
offices during regular business hours:
Physical Copies:
1. Pathways Consulting, LLC, 240 Mechanic Street, Suite 100, Lebanon, NH 03766
Electronic Copies:
1. Hartford Vermont Website, www.hartford-vt.org/Bids.aspx
PDF copies of plans and specifications can be obtained on the Town of Hartford Vermont
website (www.hartford-vt.org/Bids.aspx) at no cost to the Bidder. Additional hard copies of the
Plans and Contract Documents may be obtained at the office of Pathways Consulting, LLC upon
receipt of $100.00 for each set, which is non-refundable. Checks should be made payable to
Pathways Consulting, LLC. All requests for mailed documents must be accompanied by an
additional fee of $30.00 to cover the cost of postage and handling. All questions concerning
obtaining the plans and specifications shall be directed to Christopher Holzwarth, Assistant
Director, Planning and Permitting, at the Town of Hartford (802-295-3622,
cholzwarth@hartford-vt.org).
PRE-BID SITE VISIT: Individual non-mandatory pre-bid site visits can be conducted for this
project prior to 3:00 p.m. on or before Friday, March 20, 2026. Interested contractors can view
the project site from the right-of-way on Country Lane in Hartford, Vermont, located between
Jericho Road and Country Lane Road approximately 0.25 mile from the Jericho Road/Country
Lane intersection in Hartford, VT.
i

INSTRUCTIONS FOR BIDDERS
The Town of Hartford invites sealed bids for the Country Lane Bank Stabilization Project in
Hartford, Vermont (VT) in accordance with Contract Documents prepared by Pathways
Consulting, LLC, 240 Mechanic Street, Suite 100, Lebanon, NH 03766.
Sealed bids will be received at the Town of Hartford Town Manager's office, 171 Bridge Street,
Hartford, VT 05001 up to 2:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on Friday, March 27, 2026. Bids
must be marked and addressed to the attention of Chris Holzwarth, Assistant Director, Planning
and Permitting. If mailed, bids must be received no later than the time and date stated above.
All bids should be sealed and clearly marked as "Country Lane Bank Stabilization Project." A
bid bond of 5% will be required for this project. Bids must be complete and include all required
documentation requested in the Contract Documents. Bids received by the above deadline will
be publicly opened at said office and read out loud.
LOCATION: The site is located between Jericho Road and Country Lane Road approximately
0.25 mile from the Jericho Road/Country Lane intersection in Hartford, VT.
PROJECT SUMMARY: Work includes, but is not limited to: permanent stabilization of
approximately 2,900 square feet of the failing embankment on the westerly side of Country
Lane, including an unnamed stream bank at the toe of the embankment, with stone fill and
heavy-type riprap; removal of temporary concrete barriers; a 15-inch CMP culvert; installation of
an 18-inch HDPE culvert with precast concrete headwall; guardrail installation; realignment,
regrading, and replacement of a 120-foot portion of Country Lane; and incidental site work.
CONTRACT COMPLETION TIME: Work is expected to begin in early April. All sod and
turf establishment work must be completed prior to July 1, 2026. Substantial Completion shall
be achieved by July 1, 2026, and Final Completion shall be achieved by July 14, 2026.
This contract shall not be subject to Liquidated Damages.
PLANS: PDF copies of plans and specifications can be obtained on the Town of Hartford
Vermont website (www.hartford-vt.org/Bids.aspx) at no cost to the Bidder. Additional hard
copies of the Plans and Contract Documents may be obtained at the office of Pathways
Consulting, LLC upon receipt of $100.00 for each set, which is non-refundable. Checks should
be made payable to Pathways Consulting, LLC. All requests for mailed documents must be
accompanied by an additional fee of $30.00 to cover the cost of postage and handling. All
questions concerning obtaining the plans and specifications shall be directed to Christopher
Holzwarth, Assistant Director, Planning and Permitting, at the Town of Hartford (802-295-3622,
cholzwarth@hartford-vt.org).
PLANS, SPECIFICATION, AND PROPOSAL MAY BE VIEWED AT THE OFFICE OF:
Physical Copies:
1. Pathways Consulting, LLC, 240 Mechanic Street, Suite 100, Lebanon, NH 03766
Electronic Copies:
1. Hartford Vermont Website, www.hartford-vt.org/Bids.aspx
PRE-BID SITE VISIT: Individual non-mandatory pre-bid site visits can be conducted for this
project prior to 3:00 p.m. on or before Friday, March 20, 2026. Interested contractors can view
the project site from the right-of-way on Country Lane in Hartford, Vermont.
ii

QUESTIONS: During the advertising phase of this project, all questions shall be addressed in
writing solely to Christopher Holzwarth, Assistant Director, Planning and Permitting, Town of
Hartford, Phone (802) 295-3622 or submitted in writing to cholzwarth@hartford-vt.org. No
additional questions will be received after 3:00 p.m. on Friday, March 20, 2026 in order to allow
for sufficient time to issue a final bid addendum, if required.
BID PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION:
A. Bidders are expected to examine the specifications, drawings, all instructions, and the
construction site. Failure to do so will be at the bidder's risk. A non-mandatory pre-bid
site visit may be conducted by Bidders to view the existing site conditions.
B. All bids must be submitted on the forms provided by the OWNER. Bidders shall furnish
all the information required by the solicitation. Bids must be signed and the bidder's
name typed or printed on the bid sheet and each continuation sheet, which requires the
information by the bidder. Erasures or other changes must be initialed by the person
signing the bid. Bids signed by an agent shall be accompanied by evidence of the agent's
authority; bidders should retain a copy of their bid for their own records.
C. All bid documents shall be sealed in an envelope which shall be clearly marked with the
words "Country Lane Bank Stabilization Project", any project or other identifying
number, the bidder's name, and the date and time for receipt of bids.
D. This solicitation requires bidding on all items; failure to do so will disqualify the bid.
E. Unless expressly authorized elsewhere in this solicitation, alternate bids will not be
considered.
F. Bids submitted by electronic methods, telegram, or facsimile (fax) machines will be
considered, but the contractor is responsible for verifying receipt.
G. All blank spaces under the page(s) headed "Bid Proposal" must be filled in with ink or
typewriter in both words and figures indicating the unit price for each respective bid item.
The bid total shall also be written in words and figures.
H. In case of a discrepancy between the bid total written in words and that entered as a
figure, the price written in words shall govern.
I. In case of a discrepancy between a unit price written in words and one entered in figures,
the price written in words shall govern.
J. The estimate quantities are not guaranteed but are given as a basis for the comparison of
bids.
BID VALID PERIOD:
Bidder shall hold prices on bid form for 45 days from the date the bids are to be submitted. A
bid bond of 5% is required.
EXPLANATION AND INTERPRETATION TO PROSPECTIVE BIDDERS:
A. Any prospective bidder desiring an explanation or interpretation of the solicitation,
specification, drawings, etc., must request it in writing to Christopher Holzwarth,
Assistant Director, Planning and Permitting, Town of Hartford, Phone (802) 295-3622,
cholzwarth@hartford-vt.org. No additional questions will be received after 3:00 p.m. on
Friday, March 20, 2026. The Town of Hartford will provide the appropriate addendum to
answer bidder questions to all registered plan holders, a minimum of 2 working days
before the bid due date.
B. Any information obtained by, or provided to, a bidder other than by formal addendum to
the solicitation shall not constitute a change to the solicitation.
iii

ADDENDUM TO INVITATION TO BIDS AND INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS:
A. If this information is amended, then all terms and conditions which are not modified
remain unchanged.
B. Bidders shall acknowledge receipt of any addendum to this solicitation by identifying the
addendum number and date on the bid form. Bids which fail to acknowledge the bidder's
receipt of any addendum may result in the rejection of the bid if the addendum (addenda)
contained information which substantively changed the OWNER'S requirements.
RESPONSIBILITY OF PROSPECTIVE CONTRACTOR
A. A prospective bidder/contractor may not have been suspended, debarred, voluntarily
excluded, or determined ineligible by any Federal or State agency within the last three (3)
years; or have a proposed suspension, debarment, voluntary exclusion or ineligibility
determination pending; or have been indicted, convicted, or had civil judgment rendered
against it by a court of law having jurisdiction in any matter involving fraud or official
misconduct within the past three (3) years.
B. A prospective bidder/contractor must be registered with the State of Vermont Secretary
of State's office to do business within the State of Vermont by the execution date of any
contract.
C. A bidder may submit a unit bid price that is obviously below the cost of the bid item. If
the OWNER awards and enters into a contract with a Bidder that has submitted a unit bid
price that is obviously below cost, the contractor shall be obligated to perform the work
under such item as indicated in the contract documents and/or directed by the Engineer.
D. If a bidder submits a unit bid price of zero for a contract bid item, the bid will be declared
informal and rejected from consideration.
E. When "Alternate Bid Items" are indicated in the Proposal bidders must bid on all pay
items in each set of "Alternate Bid Items." Failure to bid on all of the "Alternate Bid
Items" in the proposal may result in rejection of the Bid.
F. When it is indicated in the contract documents or drawings that the payment or costs of
work are incidental or subsidiary to one or more other contract items (but not to specific
other items), such costs shall be included by the bidder in the price bid for all other
contract items.
AVAILABILITY OF LANDS FOR WORK, ETC.
A. All work shall be limited to within the limits of disturbance depicted on the Drawings.
All additional lands and access thereto required for temporary construction facilities,
construction equipment or storage of materials and equipment to be incorporated in the
work are to be obtained and paid for by the Contractor. Use of those lands shall be
compliant with all federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and ordinances.
FAMILIARITY WITH LAWS, ORDINANCES, AND REGULATIONS
A. By submitting a bid, a prospective bidder/contractor certifies that it is familiar with all
Federal, State, and local laws, ordinances, and regulations which affect in any way the
materials, equipment, haul roads used in or upon the work, the conduct of the work, and
the persons engaged or employed in the performance of the work to be performed
pursuant to the contract.
B. By submitting a bid, a prospective bidder/contractor certifies that it shall forthwith report
in writing to the ENGINEER any provisions in the plans, proposal, specifications, or
proposed contract that the bidder/contractor believes is in conflict with or inconsistent
iv

with any Federal, State, or local laws, ordinance, or regulation.
C. By submitting a bid, a prospective bidder/contractor certifies that if, during its
investigation of the work in the process of preparing its bid, it discovers or encounters
subsurface or latent physical conditions at a project site differing materially from those
ordinarily encountered and generally recognized as inherent in the work provided for in
the contract, it shall notify in writing the ENGINEER of the specific differing conditions
immediately upon discovering or encountering the differing site conditions.
D. A prospective bidder/contractor further certifies that if it fails to notify the Engineer of
any differing site conditions as described above, it shall waive any and all rights that it
might have to additional compensation from the OWNER for additional work as a result
of the differing site conditions and that it shall not bring claim for additional
compensation because of differing site conditions.
E. By submitting a bid, a prospective bidder/contractor certifies that no claim or defense or
ignorance or misunderstanding concerning Federal, State, or local laws, ordinances
and/or regulations will be employed by a bidder/contractor or considered by the OWNER
in claims, litigation, alternate dispute resolution procedures, or other matters concerning
the contract for which the bid is submitted.
LATE SUBMISSION, MODIFICATIONS, AND WITHDRAWAL OF BIDS
A. Any bid received at a place designated in the solicitation after the exact time specified for
receipt will not be considered.
B. Any modification or withdrawal of a bid is subject to the same conditions as in Paragraph
A of this provision.
C. The only acceptable evidence to establish the time of the receipt at the OWNER is the
time/date stamp of the OWNER on the proposal wrapper, or other documentary evidence
of receipt maintained by the OWNER.
D. Bids may be withdrawn in written notice at any time before the exact time set for opening
of bids. A bid may be withdrawn in person by a bidder or its authorized agent if, before
the exact time set for opening of bids, the identity of the person requesting withdrawal is
established and the person signs a receipt for the bid.
REJECTION OF BIDS
A. A proposal may be declared "informal" and hence rejected if it shows any alteration of
form, omissions or additions not called for in the proposal, lacks proper signatures, is a
conditional bid, has alternate bids unless required in the proposal, has irregularities of any
kind, has changes to the printed content, is submitted on a form not furnished by the
OWNER, is incomplete, fails to acknowledge receipt of one or more addendums, or
includes a clause in which a bidder reserves a right to accept or reject the contract award.
B. A proposal may be rejected at the time of bid opening or following analysis to confirm
the proposal.
C. The OWNER may reject any or all proposals, waive any or all technicalities, and/or
advertise for new proposals if in its sole judgment, or that of the awarding authority, the
best interest of the OWNER, or the awarding authority, will be served.
D. Bids that fail to acknowledge the bidders receipt of any addendum, will result in the
rejection of the bid if the addendum (addenda) contained information which substantively
changed the OWNER'S requirements.
E. The OWNER will decide whether any bid prices are unbalanced above or below a
reasonable cost analysis value as evaluated by the Design Engineer. Proposals in which
bid prices are unbalanced, mathematically and/or materially, may be rejected at the sole
discretion of the OWNER. For purposes of this subsection "mathematically unbalanced
v

bid" and "materially unbalanced bid" shall have the same meaning as in 23 CFR Part
635-Construction and Maintenance.
F. Prospective bidders may be disqualified for various reasons including (a) submission of
more than one proposal for the same work by an entity under the same or different
names, (b) evidence of collusion among bidders, or (c) any other cause for suspension or
debarment.
CONTRACT AWARD
A. The OWNER will evaluate bids in response to this solicitation without discussions and
will award a contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder whose bid,
conforming to the solicitation, will be most advantageous to the OWNER considering
only price and any price related factors specified in the solicitation.
B. Opened proposals will be considered and submitted bids confirmed, on the basis of the
summation of the products of the quantities shown in each proposal's Schedule of Items
multiplied by the unit bid prices bid. In the event of a discrepancy between the written
bid amount and the alpha numeric figure, the written amount shall govern. In the event
of a discrepancy between a unit price and the calculated extension, the product based on
the unit bid price and the mathematically correct summation of the products shall govern.
C. A written award shall be furnished to the successful bidder within the period for
acceptance specified in the bid and shall result in a binding contract without further
action by either party.
D. Signing of the agreement will follow once the required bonds and insurances are in hand
with the OWNER.
CONTRACT BONDS
A. The successful bidder will be required to furnish a Performance Bond and Payment Bond
in the amount of one hundred percent (100%) of the bid submitted. Surety companies
executing the Bond must appear on the U.S. Treasury Department's most current list
(Circular 570, as amended) and must be authorized to transact business in the State of
Vermont.
SIGNING THE CONTRACT
A. A contract signing will be scheduled between the OWNER and the successful
bidder/contractor following distribution of the Notice of Award.
B. Failure to comply with any of the requirements of these provisions relative to signing the
contract or failure to furnish the required surety prior to the contract signing shall be just
cause for the annulment of the award of the contract.
C. If the contract award or the contract is annulled, the OWNER may award the contract to
the next lowest responsible bidder that has submitted a proposal that complies with all the
provisions required to make it formal or advertise a new request for bids in the
contract(s).
D. Failure by the contractor to sign the contract within the time provided by this subsection
shall not be a reason for an extension of the contract completion date.
TAXES AND INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
In accordance with the General Conditions
PERMITS
vi

The work is subject to the conditions included in the following permits:
A. Town of Hartford Excavation Permit
vii