Request for Proposals Boulevard Tree Pruning 2026
| Location: | North Dakota |
|---|---|
| Posted: | Dec 5, 2025 |
| Due: | Dec 29, 2025 |
| Agency: | City of Bismarck |
| Type of Government: | State & Local |
| Category: |
|
| Publication URL: | To access bid details, please log in. |
| Bid Title: |
Request for Proposals Boulevard Tree Pruning 2026
|
| Category: | Public Works |
| Status: | Open |
|
Attachment Preview
BOULEVARD TREE PRUNING
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
City of Bismarck, Bismarck ND
Monday, December 29, 2025
BIDS RECEIVED BY 3:00 P.M.
BIDS OPENED BY 4:00 P.M.
OFFICE OF THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR
PO BOX 5503 (221 N. 5TH STREET – 4TH FLOOR)
BISMARCK ND 58506-5503
PUBLIC WORKS SERVICE OPERATIONS
FORESTRY DIVISION
PO BOX 5503
BISMARCK ND 58506-5503
(701) 355-1700, OPTION 3
ADVERTISEMENT
The City of Bismarck is seeking cost proposals for the pruning of boulevard trees in four project areas.
(Please see maps for more detailed information)
Project Area 1: Between North 3rd St & North 9th St AND East Rosser Ave & East Ave D
Project Area 2: Between North 3rd St & North 9th St. AND East Ave D & East Boulevard Ave
Project Area 3: Between North 19th St & North 26th St AND East Boulevard Ave & East Divide Ave
Project Area 4: Between North Washington St & North 4th St AND East Boulevard Ave & East Divide Ave.
Sealed bids will be received in the office of the City Administrator, until 3:00 p.m. CT, on Monday,
December 29, 2025. Bids will be publicly opened and reviewed at 4:00 p.m. CT, on Monday, December
29, 2025, in the Mayor’s Conference Room (4th Floor), 221 N 5th Street, Bismarck, ND 58501.
The proposals must be mailed to the City Administrator (PO Box 5503, Bismarck, ND 58506-5503) or
otherwise deposited with the City Administrator (221 N 5th Street, Bismarck, ND 58501, 4th Floor) and
shall be sealed and endorsed: “Proposal for Boulevard Tree Pruning” - Name of the person, Company
Name, and phone number of person submitting the bid.
In accordance with North Dakota state law, a separate envelope containing a current North Dakota
contractor’s license and a bid bond or certified check* in the amount of five (5) percent of the total
amount bid must be attached to the outside of the proposal envelope and labeled “Bid Bond.” Checks
or bonds of the unsuccessful bidders will be returned to them after the contract has been signed.
*A certified check may be submitted in lieu of a bid bond if amount of check is less than $10,000.
Bids must be submitted on blanks furnished by the City of Bismarck and in accordance with
specifications and conditions therein contained. Copies of proposal blanks and specifications may be
downloaded from the website or obtained from the Public Works Service Operation, 601 S 26th St,
Bismarck ND 58504, or Gale Nicholson, pwservice@bismarcknd.gov or 701-355-1707. All bidders are
invited to be present at the opening of proposals.
All bidders are invited to be present at the opening of the proposals.
The right is reserved to hold all bids for a period of forty-five (45) days, to reject any and all bids, to
waive technicalities or to accept such as may be determined to be of the best interest of the City of
Bismarck.
City of Bismarck
Jason Tomanek
City Administrator
CITY OF BISMARCK
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR 2026
BOULEVARD TREE PRUNING
The City of Bismarck is hereby requesting a bid proposal for pruning boulevard trees. The proposal
shall be for the year 2026 with an option for the City to extend the contract for two additional one-year
periods.
The Bismarck City Forester shall set forth all Standards and Specifications for the project. Contractors
submitting proposals agree to abide by these Standards and Specifications. All questions concerning
the Standards and Specifications and Contract Agreement shall be referred to the City Forester at PO
Box 5503, Bismarck, ND 58506-5503. The City Forester’s office is located at 601 South 26th Street,
Bismarck, North Dakota. The telephone number for the City Forester is 701-355-1700, option 3.
1. GENERAL CONDITIONS
1.1. Bid proposals for pruning trees and all other work related to the project shall be made on an
official Proposal Request Form provided by the Bismarck City Forester and will be
considered part of the contract agreement.
1.2. This project will consist of pruning of trees on the public right-of-way. The Contractor shall
furnish equipment, tools, materials and labor for this project. It is recommended that the
potential contractors conduct an inspection of each area prior to submitting a bid proposal.
1.3. Pruning shall consist of the removal of deadwood greater than one inch in diameter, dying,
diseased, interfering, old stubs/storm damage, objectionable and weak branches on the
main trunks as well as those within the leaf area. Deadwood remaining in the tree will
require the contractor, at their expense, to return in the spring when leafed out.
1.4. The Contractor shall make every attempt to protect all public and private property adjacent
to the work site and along all hauling routes. Any damage to public or private property shall
be the sole responsibility of the contractor and shall be repaired to the satisfaction of the
owner of the property involved.
1.5. Methods and manner used in pruning shall be subject to the approval of the City Forester.
Contractor must provide a certificate of liability insurance covering all activities within the
scope of the contract performed by the Contractor. Examples of recent work (locations,
addresses, etc.) are also required when submitting a proposal
1.6. Contractors submitting proposals for this project must possess an Arborist Certificate and
a valid Commercial Arborist License for the City of Bismarck in accordance with the City
of Bismarck Code of Ordinance, Chapter 13-02-05 and 13-02-06. Contractors must provide
a Certificate or Workers Compensation Coverage and possess a current ND Contractors
License. The work week shall be Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. with
no pruning on Saturday or Sunday, unless specifically requested by City Forester or
contractor.
1.7. Contractor shall be responsible for providing all necessary signs and barriers that conform
to Bismarck City Ordinance and Part 6 of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and
Section 1500 of the Construction Specifications for Municipal Public Works Improvements,
Bismarck, North Dakota. If street closures are necessary the City Traffic Engineer shall first
approve them, and all detours and procedures for such closure shall be adhered.
1.8. Each tree pruned shall be inspected by the City Forester or his agent on his behalf. Payment
will not be made until approval is given regarding the work performed. Upon written request,
and documentation of work completed and approved by the City Forester, the City of
Bismarck agrees to pay for up to seventy (70) percent of the work completed at the end of
each thirty (30) days. The remainder of the payment will be held until the project has been
completed and approved by the City Forester. After the completion of approximately each
100 trees the Contractor shall submit the field sheets to the City Forester showing the date
the work was performed in order to facilitate timely inspections.
1.9. All safety requirements of the contractor, including qualified line clearance, shall be in
accordance with the latest revision of the American National Safety Standards, ANSI Z133.1.
When work is performed in a tree, either by climbing or from an aerial basket, a
qualified grounds-man shall be within visual or voice communication.
1.10.
The City of Bismarck reserves the right to accept or reject any or all parts of proposals offered
by Contractors. The City reserves the right to change, add or delete areas or quantities to
be pruned as it deems to be in its best interest. The amount of tree pruning to be performed
is conditioned upon the total amount of funds budgeted for tree pruning. The City shall give
notice to the Contractor of the areas to be pruned and the approximate number of each size
of tree to be pruned in the area.
1.11.
In accordance with North Dakota state law, a separate envelope containing a current North
Dakota contractor’s license and a bid bond or certified check (if amount of certified check is
less than $10,000) in the amount of five (5) percent of the total amount bid must be
attached to the outside of the proposal/bid envelope and labeled “Bid Bond.” Checks or
bonds of the unsuccessful bidders will be returned to them after the contract has been
signed.
1. Insurance: The successful Contractor(s) must furnish copies of insurance certificates for
coverage, limits dictated by the City of Bismarck, upon signing the contract. The City shall be
immediately notified of any cancellation or cessation of insurance coverage. All below dollar
values shall be in United States dollars.
a. Certificate of Workers Compensation Coverage – State: Statutory
b. Certificate of Insurance:
i. The City of Bismarck shall be named as an additional insured and written on
the policy for the duration of the contract.
ii. Waiver of subrogation checked or written on the policy for duration of contract.
iii. Commercial General Liability: $2,000,000 each occurrence
iv. Automobile Liability: $2,000,000 each occurrence and $500,000 per person.
2. PRUNING SPECIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS
2.1. All pruning shall be made in conformance with the latest version of ANSI A300 (part 1)
Pruning Standard. Contractor is to inspect each tree at time of pruning for structural
defects and/or potential hazards. Such defects or hazards must be reported to the City
Forester or his agent.
2.2. No topping, pollarding or heading back will be allowed unless specifically authorized by the
City Forester.
2.3. Equipment that will damage the bark and cambium layer shall not be used on, or in, the
tree. For example, the use of climbing spurs is not an acceptable work practice for pruning
operations on live trees.
2.4. All broken branches shall be removed.
2.5. All epicormic (suckering) branches extended below 14 ft. shall be removed.
2.6. Remove crossed or rubbing branches where practicable.
2.7. All pruning shall be performed with consideration of the tree species’ inherent growth (i.e.,
vase shaped, pyramidal, broad-oval, etc.). Improving and/or maintaining tree health is a
critical consideration as well as clearance needs.
2.8. Sharp tools shall be used so that clean cuts will be made at all times.
2.9. All cut limbs shall be removed from the crown upon completion of the pruning. All pruning
including branches, chips, and rakings must be removed from the site and transported to
the disposal site daily.
2.10. Elm trees and other species susceptible to regional diseases shall not be pruned between
April 1st and October 1st.
2.11. Trees shall be pruned to provide ten (10) feet of clearance over sidewalk and rights-of-
way, sixteen (16) feet of clearance over curb and street of residential streets and arterial
streets.
2.12. Trees interfering with the illumination of streetlights shall be pruned to provide
uninterrupted illumination to the street beginning at a 45-degree angle from the head of the
street light.
2.13.
Depending on the tree species, branches shall be removed or pruned back to provide 15 ft.
clearance from buildings and 10-12 ft. from front yard trees. Small branches that currently
do, or will soon, interfere with service wires shall be pruned for sufficient clearance of 10-
12 ft from the wires. However, this can be adjusted depending on the species. Balancing
optimal tree health and pruning needs is critical. Contact the City Forester as necessary.
2.14. Interfering trees shall be pruned to provide for a minimum visibility of 250 feet for all signs
and traffic control devices.
2.15.
Driveways shall only be blocked when necessary and for as short a period as possible.
Whenever possible, trucks may not be driven on boulevards and shall not enter upon any
private property. If off the roadway access is necessary due to canopy size, wires,
etc., contact adjacent property owner in advance.
2.16.
If, during the work, the Contractor determines that the tree possesses defects, which cause
the tree to be structurally unsound, the Contractor shall notify the City Forester
immediately. The City Forester shall make the final determination as to what action shall
be taken.
3. DESCRIPTION OF WORK AREA
3.1. See attached maps for each project area.
3.2. A tree listing (may not be 100% accurate) will be provided for each area. Each tree pruned
is to be recorded with work date and additional comments as needed. Some trees may
This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.
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