Sidewalk Snow-Ice Removal Assistance and Fall Leaf Collection Assistance

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
# 26-123: Sidewalk Snow-Ice Removal Assistance and Fall Leaf Collection
Assistance
Issued September 9, 2026
Due September 21, 2026
The Village of Oak Park ("Village"), Illinois will receive proposals for Sidewalk Snow-Ice
Removal Assistance and Fall Leaf Collection Assistance (as more fully set forth herein) at the
Oak Park Village Hall, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 201 South Boulevard,
Oak Park, Illinois 60302. Proposals will be accepted until 4 p.m. central standard time,
Monday, September 21, 2026.
The Village reserves the right to divide the services described in this Request for Proposal
between two qualified vendors.
Proposals must be submitted electronically to Erica Helms, Environmental Services Manager at
ehelms@oak-park.us and the subject line should be "__-___ PW - ENVIRONMENTAL
SERVICES".
The Village reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals or to waive technicalities,
or to accept any item of any proposal. Information is available by emailing ehelms@oak-park.us.
Upon formal award to the successful contractor, a written agreement will be executed in
substantially the form attached hereto.
The Village reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals or to waive
technicalities, or to accept any item of any proposal.
A legal advertisement for proposals will be published in the Wednesday Journal on August 26,
2026.
Submission of Proposals

Proposals shall be submitted on the proposal form included herewith. The proposal shall be
submitted electronically to ehelms@oak-park.us and the subject line should be "__-___ PW -
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES" and shall bear the return address of the contractor, and shall be
addressed as follows:
TO: Erica Helms
Environmental Services Manager
Village of Oak Park - Public Works
201 South Boulevard
Oak Park, IL 60302
[THIS SPACE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK]
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Section I. General Requirements
A. Introduction and Mandatory Terms
Base Program
The Village of Oak Park requires residents to clear snow and ice from their public
sidewalks within 24 hours after a snow event. Recognizing that some residents are not
able to remove snow without assistance, the Village has provided a snow removal
assistance program to residents since 2007.
The Village will compile the list of locations requiring shoveling and email it to the
contractor within the first 2 business hours following a snow event. The contractor will
remove the snow and ice from the public sidewalks and spread salt at all listed
locations within twenty-four (24) hours after notification. Public sidewalks must be left
in a clean, safe, and walkable condition after the contractor's work. Salt must be
applied as a rate to ensure that the sidewalk does not refreeze after completion.
Locations that are found to be deficient must be revisited by the contractor at no cost
to the Village. There may be circumstances where additional locations will need to be
completed after the initial list is submitted. These locations will be sent to the
contractor and are expected to be complete before the contractor notifies the Village
they are leaving town.
In 2024, the Village transitioned to a bagging model for Fall Leaf Collection, requiring
residents to place their leaves into paper landscape bags and/or rigid containers for
curbside collection. Recognizing that some residents are not able to remove leaves
without assistance, the Village also developed a leaf collection assistance program.
The Village will compile the list of locations requiring landscaping assistance and email
it to the contractor when the 8-week Fall Leaf Collection Program begins in mid-late
October. Participants will receive services on two (2) dates during the program. One
cleanup will occur mid-program after a significant volume of leaves have fallen, with a
second cleanup at the conclusion of the program. All leaves must be hauled to a
composting facility for disposal and/or bagged and left at the curb for the Village's
residential hauler to collect. Locations that are found to be deficient must be revisited
by the contractor at no cost to the Village. There may be circumstances where
additional locations will need to be completed after the initial list is submitted. These
locations will be sent to the contractor and are expected to be complete before the
contractor notifies the Village they are leaving town.
Notification
The contractor is required to notify the Village when they enter and leave town for this
work. The notification must include the number of employees and equipment in town
and the proposed plan for completion of the work. After the work is complete, the
contractor must submit a list of the addresses with the time the work was complete.
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During the recent fall and winter seasons, there was an average of fifty (50) to seventy-
five (75) locations listed for each assistance program. The number may be more or
less depending on the severity of the weather and amount of leaf litter that has fallen.
Cost and Payment
Contractors shall propose a cost per man per hour for snow and leaf services.
Additionally, contractors shall propose a cost per 50lb and 80lb bag of salt, dump fee,
and disposal cost per ton of leaves collected.
All additional questions must be submitted via email to ehelms@oak-park.us no later
than September 1 at 4 p.m.
Responses will be reviewed and evaluated, and all information regarding status will be
kept confidential until a decision is made and a recommendation provided to the
Village Board for approval.
B. Presentation of Request for Qualifications
The Village reserves the right to select a short list of service providers at its own
discretion to present their qualifications, respond to questions, and supply
supplemental information.
C. Service Provider Notification
Service providers will be notified in writing of further questions and/or decisions.
D. Award of Agreement
An agreement in substantially the form attached may be executed once one or more
contractors are found to be qualified, a selection of the most qualified is determined
by the evaluation committee, and the Village Board approves of the award.
The agreement with a selected contractor or contractors must be reviewed and
approved by the Village Attorney, may be approved and authorized by the Village of
Oak Park Board of Trustees, and executed by the Village Manager. Contractors are
advised that Village staff, other than the Village Manager, have no authority to sign
agreements or modify existing agreements on behalf of the Village and that any such
agreements are null and void.
E. Taxes Not Applicable
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The Village as a municipality pays neither federal excise tax nor Illinois retailer's
occupational tax.
F. Interpretation of the Request for Proposal Document
Any service provider in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of this document may
request an interpretation thereof from the Village or its representative. The person
requesting the interpretation shall be responsible for its prompt delivery. At the request
of the Service Provider or in the event that Village management deems the
interpretation to be substantive, the interpretation will be made by written addendum
duly issued by the Village.
In the event that a written addendum is issued, either as a result of a request for
interpretation or the result of a change in the requested RFP specifications initiated by
the Village, a copy of such addendum will be posted on the Village's Website and
DemandStar.com. The Village will not assume responsibility for receipt of such
addendum. In all cases it will be the service providers' responsibility to obtain all
addenda issued.
G. Competency of Service Provider
No submission will be accepted from, or agreement awarded to, any person, firm or
corporation that is in arrears or is in default upon any debt or agreement. The Service
Provider, if requested, must present evidence of ability and possession of necessary
facilities, and financial resources to comply with the terms of the scope of services.
H. Subletting of Contract
No contract awarded by the Village of Oak Park shall be assigned or any part
subcontracted without the written consent of the Village of Oak Park. In no case shall
such consent relieve the bidder selected from their obligations or change the terms of
the contract.
I. Village Ordinances
The Service Provider will strictly comply with all ordinances and codes of the Village of
Oak Park and laws of the State of Illinois.
J. Term of Agreement
The initial agreement shall be from October 26, 2026 to December 31, 2027. The
Village may renew the agreement for two (2) optional snow seasons (January 1, 2028
to December 31, 2028 and January 1, 2029 to December 31, 2029) under the same
terms and conditions as the initial agreement. Price escalation will be allowed for an
applicable renewal. The requested increase must be that of the general industry. In
this event, written notification stating the requested increase and supporting
document justification must be forwarded to the Village. The adjustment shall be based
upon 100% of the percentage of change of the latest published Index (as defined below)
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as compared to the Index for the previous year. The Index shall be the United States
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Revised Consumer Price Index for all
Urban Wage Earners for Chicago, Illinois - Gary, Indiana - Kenosha, Wisconsin (all items,
1982-84 = 100). Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the
adjustment shall not be greater than three percent (3%) of the previous year's cost for
services provided under this agreement in any year. If the Contractor fails to justify the
requested increase, the Village reserves the right to reject the request and cancel the
balance of the agreement and/or not renew the agreement.
If any price reductions are announced during the agreement period or any applicable
renewal, the Village shall receive benefit of such reduction. This request shall also be
in the form of a written notification and shall become effective thirty (30) days from
the date the notice was received by the Village.
K. Payments
The contractor will submit a monthly invoice to the Village detailing the addresses
completed, hours worked and the rate. All invoices will be paid within 30 days of
approval. Charges for late payments must be in accordance with the Local
Government Prompt Payment Act, 50 ILCS 505/1 et seq., requiring a maximum
interest penalty of 1% per month or portion thereof.
L. Termination for Non-appropriation of Funds
The Village reserves the right to terminate any multi-year agreement if the Village's
Board of Trustees fails to appropriate funds for this purpose in any subsequent fiscal
year. All funds for payments after December 31st of the current fiscal year are subject
to Village's appropriation for this purpose.
M. Service Provider Personnel Assigned to the Village of Oak Park Account(s)
The Village reserves the right to accept or reject any staff designated by the Service
Provider to manage the Village account(s). If no suitable replacement staff is provided,
the Village reserves the right to terminate the agreement.
N. Confidentiality
The Service Provider shall keep the Village's employee and all related data
confidential.
O. Insurance Requirements
The selected Service Provider must purchase and maintain for the length of the
agreement in the amounts set forth in the agreement attached hereto.
P. Hold Harmless and Indemnity
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Notwithstanding any limitations or restrictions applicable to any insurance or bonds
required hereunder, the Service Provider shall defend, indemnify and hold the Village
of Oak Park and its officers, officials, employees, volunteers and agents as set forth in
the agreement attached hereto.
Q. Tentative Schedule
Below is a tentative schedule for the request for proposal, evaluation of responses,
selection and approval of a preferred Operator or Operators ("Operator"):
Request for Bids posted Sept. 9 2026
Questions due Sept. 16, 2026
Bids due Sept. 21, 2026
Proposals reviewed Sept. 21-25, 2026
Negotiation with preferred contractor(s) Sept. 28-30, 2026
Tentative Agreement Approval Oct. 1, 2026
Service start date Oct. 26, 2026
R. References
Contractors shall furnish a minimum of four (4) references from accounts that they are
currently servicing (for not less than 2 snow seasons).
CONTRACTOR REFERENCES
Contractor Name: ___________________________
Name Address Phone #
1. __________________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________________
4. __________________________________________________________________
State the number of years in this business ______________.
State the number of current personnel on staff trained in the operation of the equipment
required in the performance of this contract.
****
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SIDEWALK SNOW-ICE REMOVAL AND FALL LEAF COLLECTION PROPOSAL FORM
Costs shall be an hourly rate regardless of your method - either by hand or by machine.
BASE PROGRAM: SIDEWALK SNOW SHOVELING SERVICES
HOURLY RATE (PER MAN HOUR) $ _____________
50LB BAG OF SALT (PER BAG) $ _____________
BASE PROGRAM: LEAF COLLECTION LANDSCAPING SERVICES
HOURLY RATE (PER MAN HOUR) $ _____________
DUMP FEE $ _____________
DISPOSAL (PER TON OF LEAF AND YARD WASTE) $ _____________
Company Name ________________________________________________________
Address _______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Contact Name __________________________________________________________
Phone ________________________________________________________________
Fax __________________________________________________________________
Email _________________________________________________________________
Section IV. Proposal Evaluation
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Proposals will be evaluated by Village staff. Evaluation will be based on criteria outlined herein
which may be weighted by the Village in a manner it deems appropriate. All proposals will be
evaluated using the same criteria and weighting. The criteria used will be:
A. Responsiveness to RFP
The Village will consider all the material submitted to determine whether the
contractor's proposal is in compliance with this RFP.
B. Ability to Perform Current and Projected Required Services
The Village will consider all the material submitted by each service provider,
and other relevant material it may otherwise obtain, to determine whether the
proposer is capable of and has a history of successfully completing agreements
of this type.
C. Experience and Relevant Knowledge
The Village will assess the experience and relevant knowledge of the proposed
dedicated team of personnel.
D. Financial Stability
The Village may conduct analysis to examine the contractor's creditworthiness,
including capital adequacy, asset quality, management, earnings, liquidity, and
sensitivity to interest rate or market risk. This will be assessed by internal staff
and/or external rating services.
E. References
The Village may contact references directly to inquire about the quality and type
of services currently being provided to other customers.
F. Cost Proposal
The Village will evaluate aggregate services based on the overall cost effective
approach to providing the services requested in this RFP.
G. Optional Interviews and/or Site Visits
The Village may, at its sole option, conduct interviews and/or site visits of select
contractors as part of the final selection process. Teleconferencing via GoTo
Meeting is an acceptable option.
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Attachment I. CONTRACTOR CERTIFICATION
__________________________________________, as part of its bid on a contract for
(name of Contractor)
Sidewalk Snow-Ice Removal Assistance and Fall Leaf Collection Assistance to the Village of
Oak Park, hereby certifies that said Contractor is not barred from bidding on the
aforementioned contract as a result of a violation to either Section 33E-3 or 33E-4 of Article
33E of Chapter 38 of the Illinois Revised Statutes or Section 2-6-12 of the Oak Park Village
Code relating to "Bidding Requirements".
By:__________________________________________
(Authorized Agent of Contractor)
Subscribed and sworn to
before me this ___ day
of ___________, 2026.
____________________________
(Notary Public)
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