Parkway Tree Pruning

SECTION I
REQUEST FOR BIDS
INSTRUCTIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR:
Village of Oak Park 2027 Parkway Tree Pruning
Bid Number: 26-120
Issuance Date: 07/29/2026
The Village of Oak Park (VOP) will receive Bids from qualified contractors to perform parkway
tree pruning during the 2027 calendar year pursuant to this Request for Bids. This Bid covers
one (1) contract available with the VOP. Bidders are welcome to bid on any and all of the
contracts available. Bids will be accepted at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park,
IL 60302 Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday, 8:30 am to 12:00 p.m.
local time until 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. Bids will be reviewed and the results
of the review will be presented to the VOP Board of Trustees.
A mandatory pre-bid meeting shall be held on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at the
Public Works Center Conference Room (201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302). The Conference
Room is on the second floor of the Public Works Center. Bids received from bidders who do not
send a representative to the pre-bid meeting shall not be considered.
Specifications and bid forms may be obtained at http://www.oak-park.us/bid or at the Public
Works Center at the address listed above or by calling 708-358-5700.
The Village Boards of Trustees reserve the right to accept or reject any and all bids or to waive
technicalities, or to accept any item of any bid. Information is available from the Forestry
Superintendent, Grant Jones at 708-358-5740 or gjones@oak-park.us.
Do not detach any portion of this document. Upon formal award to the successful Bidder, a
written agreement will be executed for the Project in substantially the form attached.
Submission of Bids
The Bid shall be submitted on the Bid form included herewith. The Bid shall be submitted in a
sealed envelope marked "BID: 26-120 2027 Parkway Tree Pruning", shall bear the return
address of the bidder, and shall be addressed as follows:
TO: Grant Jones
Forestry Superintendent
Department of Public Works
201 South Blvd.
Oak Park, IL 60302

SECTION II
BID INSTRUCTIONS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Preparation and Submission of Bid:
All Bids must be delivered to the Public Works Center by the specific time indicated on the
cover page. Bids arriving after the specified time will not be accepted. Mailed bids that are
received by the Village after the specified hour will not be accepted regardless of the post-
marked time on the envelope. Bids must be signed by an officer of the company who is
authorized to enter into agreements on behalf of the company. Bids shall be sealed in an
envelope and marked as stated on the cover page.
Bid Bond
The Bidder shall provide a Bid Bond in the amount of ten percent (10%) of the total bid price.
The attached form may be used or the bidder may provide cash or a certified check in the
amount specified. Bid bond amounts shall be based on all proposed work where estimated
amounts have been provided by VOP. Do not include unit price amounts where work is "On-
Demand" or "As Required". The Bid Bonds, cash or checks will be returned once the selected
bidder has entered into an Agreement for this work and provided the Contract Bond in an
amount of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) for each contract awarded.
Contract Term
The initial contract term shall be from the date of award to December 31, 2027. Note: it is
anticipated that work will not begin until January 2027. The Village of Oak Park has the right to
renew the contract on an annual basis for two (2) optional one-year terms (January 1 to
December 31). The Bidder shall begin performing the services within fourteen (14) days of a
notice to proceed from the Director of Public Works or his designee.
Contract Renewal
The Village will have the right to renew the contract for two (2) additional one-year terms with
all terms and conditions, other than price, remaining the same. The Village will allow the Bidder
to increase or decrease the contract price for each annual renewal.
Upon written request from the Bidder, on or before October 20 of each year of the Agreement,
the cost of the services provided under the Agreement may be adjusted as follows:
The contractor shall submit a request for adjustment to the Village based upon the average of
the published monthly Index (as defined below) for the period October through September for
the previous year. The Index shall be the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Chicago Statistics, Revised Consumer Price Index for all Urban Wage Earners for Chicago-
Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI (all items, 1982-84 = 100).
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Request for Bids to the contrary, an annual
adjustment shall not be greater than five percent (5.0%) of the previous year's cost for services
provided under this Agreement in any year.
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Any applicable adjustment shall take effect on January 1st.
Notice to Proceed
Work shall begin within fourteen (14) days from the Notice to Proceed from the Village's
Director of Public Works. All work shall be completed in accordance with the detailed
specifications set forth herein, unless the Director of Public Works grants an extension.
Recertification
If the Village renews the contract for an additional one-year term, the Bidder will provide the
Village with a renewed certification in the form in Section V indicating that it continues to be
eligible to contract with units of local government. If a contractor or subcontractor is not able
to certify that it continues to meet all requirements, it shall provide a detailed explanation of
the circumstances leading to the change in certification status.
Award of Agreement
The Agreement will be awarded in whole or in part to the responsible Bidder or Bidders whose
bids, conforming to the request for bids, will be most advantageous to the Village; price and
other factors considered. If otherwise equivalent bids are received, as determined by the
Village, the Village will give preference to contractors who are TCIA Accredited or meet the
following requirements:
* Are actively enrolled in the TCIA Accreditation Program and on track to complete the
process within a two-year period
* Have completed the TCIA mail-in audit and have met 50% of the standards required by
TCIA for accreditation.
* By submitting a bid, Contractor authorizes the Village to obtain evidence of compliance
from TCIA and authorizes TCIA to release such information to the Village. In the event
that the Village is unable to obtain such information as it deems necessary to determine
compliance, on or before bid opening date, above compliance shall be deemed unmet.
Costs of Preparation
The Village will not be responsible for any expenses incurred in preparing and submitting a Bid
or entering into the applicable Agreement.
Taxes not Applicable
The Village of Oak Park as an Illinois municipality pays neither Illinois Sales Tax nor Federal
Excise Tax (State Tax Exemption Identification Number VOP - E9998-1823-06). Contractors
should exclude these taxes from their prices.
Withdrawal of Bids:
Any Contractor may withdraw its Bid at any time prior to the time specified in the
advertisement as the closing time for the receipt of Bids, by signing a request therefore. No
Contractor may withdraw or cancel its Bid for a period of sixty (60) calendar days after the
advertised closing time for the receipt of Bids. The successful Contractor may not withdraw or
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cancel its Bid after having been notified that the Bid was accepted by the Village Board of
Trustees.
Investigation of Contractors
The Village will make such investigations as are necessary to determine the ability of the
Contractor to fulfill Bid requirements. If requested, the Contractor should be prepared to
present evidence to the Village of Oak Park of the ability and possession of necessary facilities
and financial resources to comply with the terms of the attached specifications and Bids. In
addition, the Contractor shall furnish the Village with any information the Village may request,
and shall be prepared to show completed work of a similar nature to that included in its Bid.
The Village reserves the right to visit and inspect the premises and operation of any Contractor.
Rejection of Contractor
The Village will reject any Bid from any person, firm or corporation that appears to be in default
or arrears on any debt, agreement or the payment of any taxes. The Village will reject any Bid
from a Contractor that failed to satisfactorily complete work for the Village under any previous
agreement.
Conditions
Contractors are advised to become familiar with all conditions, instructions and specifications
governing the work. Contractors shall be presumed to have investigated the work site,
conditions and scope of the work before submitting a Bid.
Compliance with Applicable Laws
The Bidder will strictly comply with all ordinances of the Village of Oak Park and Village Code
and laws of the State of Illinois.
Governing Law
All agreements entered into by the Village of Oak Park are governed by the laws of the State of
Illinois without regard to conflicts of law. Any action brought to enforce an agreement with the
Village of Oak Park must be brought in the state and federal courts located in Cook County,
Illinois.
Subletting of Agreement
No agreement awarded by the Village of Oak Park shall be assigned or any part sub-agreement
without the written consent of the Village of Oak Park or as noted in the Contractor's Bid. In no
case shall such consent relieve the Contractor from its obligations or change the terms of the
Agreement.
Interpretation of Agreement Documents:
Any Contractor with a question about this Bid may request an interpretation thereof from the
Village. If the Village changes the Bid, either by clarifying it or by changing the specifications,
the Village will issue a written addendum, and will email a copy of the addendum to all
prospective Contractors. The Village will not assume responsibility for receipt of such
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addendum. In all cases, it will be the Contractor's responsibility to obtain all addenda issued.
Contractors will provide written acknowledgment of receipt of each addendum issued with the
Bid submission.
Minority Business and Women Business Enterprise Requirements
The Village of Oak Park, in an effort to reaffirm its policy of non-discrimination, encourages the
efforts of Contractors and subcontractors to take affirmative action in providing for Equal
Employment Opportunity without regard to race, religion, creed, color, sex, national origin, age,
handicap unrelated to ability to perform the job or protected veteran's status.
Licenses
The Contractor shall be responsible for becoming a licensed Contractor in the Village.
Agreement
The selected bidder shall enter into an Agreement with the Village to complete the Project in a
form substantially similar to the Agreement attached hereto. The Agreement shall be executed
by the Contractor and returned, together with the Contract Bond within ten (10) calendar days
after the Agreement has been mailed to the Contractor. The Contractor shall execute three
copies of the Agreement. One fully executed copy will be returned to the Contractor. See
Section XIII for a sample copy of the agreement.
Contract Bond
The successful bidder shall, within ten (10) calendar days after award of the bid, furnish a
Contract Bond in the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) for each contract
awarded. The bond shall insure faithful performance of the work, and the payment for
materials, labor and of the subcontractors. The bond shall be with a surety or sureties with a
rating of "A" or better by A.M. Best and Company and such sureties shall be approved by the
Village. Bonds in the form of certified or cashier's check shall be made payable to the Village of
Oak Park, Illinois. The Contract Bond shall be furnished in the same number of copies as the
number of copies of the Agreement to be executed. See section XII for a sample copy of the
Contract Bond.
Fees and Cost
In the event any action is brought to enforce any agreement entered into by the Village of Oak
Park, or to collect any unpaid amount from the Village, each party bears the responsibility of
paying its own attorneys' fees and costs.
Dispute Resolution
The Village of Oak Park does not agree to the mandatory arbitration of any dispute.
Village of Oak Park Logo or Likeness Use
The official logo of the Village of Oak Park is not to be used in any form. Use of the Village logo
is strictly prohibited by law and such use could subject the proposer to disqualification or
termination of contract.
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Living Wage/Minimum Wage
See Section XIII - Agreement.
Hold Harmless
See Section XIII - Agreement.
Insurance
See Section XIII - Agreement.
Termination of Agreement
See Section XIII - Agreement.
FOIA Requirements
By submitting a bid or otherwise responding in any way to this request for bids, the bidder
acknowledges the following:1. This public body is subject to the Freedom of Information Act, 5
ILCS 140/1, et seq. ("FOIA"), and any and all information submitted by the bidder to this public
body is subject to disclosure to third parties in accordance with FOIA. 2. If the bidder intends for
the public body to withhold the bidder's trade secrets, commercial information, or financial
information from disclosure to a third party in response to a FOIA request, the
bidder must include with its bid submittal a written notification specifically identifying such
information, along with a statement that disclosure of such information will cause competitive
harm to the bidder, as provided by FOIA Section 7(1)(g), 5 ILCS 140/7(1)(g). Any content not so
marked by the bidder at the time of bid submittal will be presumed to be open to public
inspection. The bidder may be required to substantiate the basis for its claims at a later time. 3.
Notwithstanding timely notice received from a bidder in accordance with Section 7(1)(g), the
public body reserves the right, in its sole discretion and subject only to applicable law, to
withhold or release the subject information in response to a FOIA request.
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SECTION III
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
Scope of Work
The Village is seeking Bids from qualified arboriculture contractors for the pruning of Village-
owned trees within the Village of Oak Park. Additional "Add On / On Demand" items are
included with some contracts and are required to be bid on. Work will be assigned by the
Village as necessary. Particular emphasis will be placed on high standards of quality and
professionalism, including safety, timeliness, cleanliness, and thoroughness. All arboriculture
contract work shall be done in accordance with the latest editions of the 1) ANSI Z133
standards for Arboriculture Operations, 2) ANSI A300 standards for Tree Care Operations, and
3) ISA Best Management Practices: Pruning.
Responsibility of Contractor
The selected contractor shall furnish all labor, supervision, tools, equipment, materials and
supplies, and other means necessary for performing and completing the work, including debris
hauling, and shall obtain and pay for any required permits.
ISA Certified Arborist On Staff
Bidders for the Village Parkway Tree Pruning contract are required to have an ISA Certified
Arborist on staff at all times. Include documentation showing at least one current employee is a
certified arborist with your company's bid. Bids from contractors who do not have a Certified
Arborist on staff will not be considered for the Village Parkway Tree Pruning contract.
At any time during the contract or subsequent contract renewal, you may be asked to show
documentation that there is a Certified Arborist on staff. If there is not a Certified Arborist on
staff at the time, it may be considered a breach of contract.
Extent of Services, Alterations, Omissions and Extra Work
The Village reserves the right to award multiple contracts from this bid including multiple
contracts for a single type of work or single season. The Village reserves the right to award the
contract to the lowest qualified and responsible bidder.
If otherwise equivalent bids are received, as determined by the Village, the Village will give
preference to contractors who are TCIA Accredited or meet the following requirements:
* Are actively enrolled in the TCIA Accreditation Program and on track to complete the
process within a two-year period
* Have completed the TCIA mail-in audit and have met 50% of the standards required by
TCIA for accreditation.
* By submitting a bid, Contractor authorizes the Village to obtain evidence of compliance
from TCIA and authorizes TCIA to release such information to the Village. In the event
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that the Village is unable to obtain such information as it deems necessary to determine
compliance, on or before bid opening date, above compliance shall be deemed unmet.
The Village reserves the right to increase or decrease the quantity of any item or portion of the
work, or to omit portions of the work as may be deemed necessary.
Workers
The bidders shall employ competent laborers and shall replace at the request of the Director of
Public Works any incompetent, unfaithful, abusive or disorderly workers in their employ. Only
workers expert in their respective branches of work shall be employed where special skill is
required. Inappropriate behavior or examples of unproductive work effort will not be
tolerated. The Village has the right to require a bidder's employee to be immediately removed
from the work crew if the above behavior is exhibited.
Time of Work
Bidder shall only work on weekdays, (Monday through Friday), from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No
work will be allowed on weekends or on legal holidays as recognized by the Village of Oak Park,
except as authorized by the Director of Public Works.
Method of Payment
The Village of Oak Park will pay monthly, all undisputed invoices within 30 days of approval as
provided in the Local Government Prompt Payment Act, 50 ILCS505/4. The maximum interest
rate for any payment not made within 30 days of approval is 1%.
Standard of Care
The Contractor shall endeavor to perform the Services with the same skill and judgment which
can be reasonably expected from similarly situated firms or entities.
The Contractor shall comply with all federal, state, and local statutes, regulations, rules,
ordinances, judicial decisions, and administrative rulings applicable to its performance under this
Agreement as applicable, including, but not limited to, Cook County's minimum wage and sick
leave ordinances, respectively Cook County Ordinance Number 16-5768 and Cook County
Ordinance Number 16-4229, and the Village's Living Wage Ordinance, Village of Oak Park
Ordinance Number 16-093, codified as Section 2-6-20 of the Village Code, all as amended.
Current copies attached as exhibit A.
The Contractor shall ensure that the Services are provided, performed, and completed in
accordance with all applicable statutes, ordinances, rules, and regulations, including, but not
limited to, the Fair Labor Standards Act; any statutes regarding qualification to do business; any
statutes prohibiting discrimination because of, or requiring affirmative action based on race,
color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, order of protection status, marital status,
physical or mental disability, military status, sexual orientation, or unfavorable discharge from
military service or other prohibited classification, including, without limitation, the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq., and the Illinois Human Rights Act, 775
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ILCS 5/1-101 et seq. The Contractor shall also comply with all conditions of any federal, state,
or local grant received by the Village or the Contractor with respect to this Agreement.
Certified Payroll
Contractor shall be solely responsible to maintain accurate records reflecting its payroll for its
employees who perform any of the Work for the Village pursuant to this Contract and shall
submit certified payroll records to the Village's Director of Public Works at any time during the
term of this Contract. Contractor shall provide said certified payroll records within seven (7)
days upon the request of the Director of Public Works.
Change Orders
Change Orders: Changes in the Work may be agreed to after execution of the Agreement, and
without invalidating the Agreement, if the Change Order is in writing and signed. Any changes
to the scope of work which result in an increase in the agreement price will be subject to an
agreement addendum which must be signed by both parties. Any such Change Order will be
prepared by the Village. The Contractor may only proceed with the Change upon receipt of the
written Change Order signed by the Village.
Emergency Changes: Contractor may perform work not included in the Scope of Work if
necessary to remedy a condition that poses an immediate threat to persons or property. Work
of this nature shall be carried out only to the extent of bringing the condition under control.
The Village shall be notified immediately. A Change Order will then be negotiated and executed
for the work performed, and for work remaining, if any.
Minor Changes (Field Orders): The Village may verbally authorize minor changes in the Scope of
Work in order to prevent a delay in the progression of the Work. These field orders may not
involve a change in the agreement price or be inconsistent with the Scope of Work.
Changes Due to Unknown Conditions: The Contractor is not responsible for Changes in the
Work that are due to conditions that were not reasonably observable or conditions that have
changed. In such cases, the Contractor shall notify the Village and a Change Order will be
negotiated.
Any Change which results in a total agreement price in excess of $10,000 must be approved by
the Village of Oak Park Board of Trustees.
Correction of Work Prior To Final Payment
The Village has the right to stop work if the Contractor fails to carry out the work in a manner
acceptable to the Village. If the Village deems the Contractor's work unacceptable, at the
Village's election, the Contractor shall do one of the following:
1. Promptly repair or replace the defective work, without expense to the Village, including
costs associated with repairing any damage to property caused by the replacement
work; or;
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2. If the Village deems it unacceptable to have the Contractor correct work which has been
incorrectly done, a deduction from the agreement price shall be made based on the
costs to the Village to have the work repaired. Such a deduction from the agreement
price shall in no way affect the Village's other remedies or relieve the Contractor from
responsibility for defects and related damage occurring as a result of defective or
unacceptable work.
Bidder's Representative
The bidder shall have at all times a competent foreman or superintendent on the job that shall
have full authority to act for the bidder, and to receive and execute orders from the Director of
Public Works or appointed representative. Any instructions given to such superintendent or
person executing work for the bidder shall be binding on the bidder as though given to him
personally. Bidder's representative must be proficient in the use and interpretation of the
English language.
Dispute Resolution
All disputes, including collection disputes, shall be brought in the Circuit Court of Cook County,
Illinois. This agreement shall be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois.
In any dispute resolution process, each party shall bear its own costs, including attorney's fees.
Any purported agreement between the parties that states terms contrary to this paragraph M
will be deemed per se invalid.
Reporting Requirements
The following forms must be completed in their entirety, notarized and included as part of the
Bid document. Failure to respond truthfully to any question on the list or failure to cooperate
fully with further inquiry by the Village of Oak Park will result in disqualification of your Bid.
Detail Specifications: All Contracts
1. Location of Tree Maintenance Work
The location of the work is known as: PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY within the Village of
Oak Park, Illinois, on right-of-way or on property furnished by the owner. All tree
work is to be done in accordance with the enclosed specifications.
2. Property Damage
The Bidder shall take great care to avoid damaging adjacent landscaping (trees,
shrubs, turf, etc.). Bidder shall be held responsible for all damage to property
including, but not limited to, existing landscaping including turf, planters, bicycle
racks, litter containers, light and traffic signal poles, parking meters, fire hydrants,
curbs, vehicles, buildings and structures, sidewalks, etc. All damage will be the
responsibility of the Bidder to repair to its original condition and to the satisfaction
of the Village.
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