Bidding Procedures

All bidders should understand that only the Board of Park Commissioners can authorize a contract or award a bid involving an amount of $75,000.01 or more. Such approval can only occur at a public meeting by Board resolution. Until a bid is awarded, the Board of Park Commissioners retains the right to reject any and all bids at its discretion.

1. Cleveland Metroparks bidding process:
   **The bidding process is applied to transactions on materials, products and/or services with an estimated annual aggregate price in excess of $75,000.01.** 
   • Post and advertise bid -During this process, the bid is posted in Cleveland Metroparks Administrative Office Lobby bulletin board, website and advertised in a local, main newspaper. The advertising and posting period lasts for fifteen (15) days.
   • Bid Opening - After the fifteen (15) day posting and advertising period, the bids are publicly opened by the Purchasing Division. Prices must be guaranteed and held for a sixty (60) day period.
   • Board approval and award of bid - During this sixty (60) day period, bids are reviewed by the purchasing division and a recommendation is presented to the Chief Executive Officer and/or Board of Park Commissioners. At this time, the Board may either accept/approve a bid or fully/partially reject a bid.
   • After Board approval or rejection - If a bid is accepted/approved by the Chief Executive Officer and/or Board, an immediate contract is entered into with the awarded bidder (time frame contingent on contractor's and/or Cleveland Metroparks specified terms and conditions). If a bid is rejected by the Board, all bidders will be notified accordingly.
   • After Board approval or rejection - If a bid is accepted/approved by the Chief Executive Officer and/or Board, an immediate contract is entered into with the awarded bidder (time frame contingent on contractor's and/or Cleveland Metroparks specified terms and conditions). If a bid is rejected by the Board, all bidders will be notified accordingly.
2. Award of Bid Policy

   The following factors in combination, not necessarily listed in their order of importance, will be considered in reviewing bids and recommending the award of bids by the Board of Park Commissioners and/or Chief Executive Officer as appropriate.

   All bidders should understand that only the Board of Park Commissioners can authorize a contract or award a bid involving an amount of $75,000.01 or more. Such approval can only occur at a public meeting by Board resolution. Until a bid is awarded, the Board of Park Commissioners retains the right to reject any or all bids at its discretion. Critical factors include:

   • Price
   • Bidder's previous record of performance and service
   • Ability of bidder to render satisfactory service
   • Availability of bidder's representative to call upon and consult with Cleveland Metroparks user departments
   • Quality and conformance to specifications
   • Bidder's qualifications
   • Dun & Bradstreet information
   • Written recommendation from user department
   • In case of disagreement, the Director of Procurement and/or Chief Financial Officer shall make the final recommendation for the award of bid to the Board of Park Commissioners or the Chief Executive Officer (Chielf Executive Officer approved items are shown to the Board on the “Items Between $25,000 - $75,000 list” presented in the Board agenda).

   Ohio Revised Code Section 9.24 (A) (B) (D) and (E) provides that no state agency and no political subdivision shall award a contract for goods, services, or construction, paid for in whole or in part with state funds, to a person against whom a finding for recovery has been issued by the auditor of the state, if finding for recovery is unresolved. Therefore, Cleveland Metroparks will print and maintain in the bid file, from the Auditor of State/State of Ohio website (www.auditor.state.oh.us), the verification of a certified search for unresolved findings for recovery. The search request is considered the path to validate that the potential awardee is in full compliance with the Ohio Revised Code with no unresolved findings for recovery from previous contracts.

3. General Notes Regarding Bids
   • A purchase of more than $75,000.01 requires Board approval. Purchases between $25,000 - $75,000 require approval by the Chief Executive Officer and are presented to the Board as information items.
   • A bid contract will only be entered into with vendors whom the Purchasing Division secures as qualified or can be qualified to meet all requirements.
   • Answers to technical questions arising during the bidding process should be provided by the requestor. The Purchasing Division must coordinate the reply and insure that all potential suppliers are provided the same information through addendum, etc.
   • After all bids have been received and examined for accuracy, a tabulation of bids is to be prepared noting all the pertinent data and discrepancies. Determination of the lowest and best bidder will be made only after all aspects, including a written recommendation preference of the requestor, have been considered. The information gathered will be kept with the bid/price quote packet as backup documentation. In cases of research for estimates, a copy of each bid response may be sent to the requestor along with the bid summary sheet.
   • Suppliers who were not awarded the bid will receive a copy of the tabulation of the bids along with a letter and their bid or bid/performance bond or check, within one month of final, approved recommendation.
   • Cleveland Metroparks reserves the right to reject any and all bids and parts of any and all bids, unless so stated in the specifications. Cleveland Metroparks also reserves the right to waive all technicalities and split award any bid in which various unit costs offer a more desirable total cost, as long as coordination of delivery and supplies does not prove a detriment to construction or operation.
4. Bonding Requirements For Bids

   Construction Contracts
   Construction contract bonds are Bid/Performance Bonds in the full amount of the bid. If a vendor is selected to enter into a contract, said contract could begin immediately with all instruments complete and in place. If a certified check is submitted, it is in the form of 10% of the total bid. It must be converted to a 100% Performance Bond upon signing of the construction contracts.

   Service Contract Bonds and/or Certified Checks
   Service contract bonds and/or certified checks for agreements such as trash hauling should be in an amount equal to five percent of the total bid. This 5% bond or certified check is held through the life of the bid and should be submitted as a bid AND performance bond. It is not necessary to turn this bond or certified check into a performance bond upon acceptance of a vendor unless the bond is not a bid/performance type and solely a bid bond. The certified check can be retained as equivalent to the bid and performance bond.

   Commodity Contract Bonds and/or Certified Checks
   Commodity contract bonds and/or certified checks for specific items are to be in an amount equal to five percent of the total cost of the bid item. This bond/certified check should be held until all items are received according to specifications. There is usually no need for the status of this bond to be transformed into a performance bond.

   Type of Contract	% of Bid Check	% of Bid Bond
   Construction Contract Service Contract Commodity Contract	10% 5% 5%	100% 5% 5%

5. Prevailing Wage

   Prevailing Wage packets are mandatory with bids and/or purchase orders for new construction and construction improvements to existing structures per Ohio Revised Code. When budgeting managers are assembling information for bid it is necessary that they determine if a job is to be covered by prevailing wage. Limits are updated by the State and should be investigated prior to any such bid release. Such trades include but are not limited to the following:

   Asbestos Workers	Linemen
   Iron Workers	Line Builders – Outside
   Fence Erectors	Line Builders – Inside
   Riggers & Machine Movers	Line Builders – Underground
   Steel Sash Erectors	Metal Finishers
   Welders	Millwrights
   Boilermakers	Painters
   Blacksmiths	Sandblasters
   Bricklayers	Tapers
   Pointers, Caulkers	Pile Drivers
   Cleaners	Plumbers
   Tile Layers	Pipefitters
   Carpenters	Roofers
   Floor Layers	Sheet Metal Workers
   Linoleum Layers	Sign Erectors
   Blinds, Draperies	Sign Painters
   Window Shade Installers	Sprinkler Fitters
   Cement Masons	Telephone Installers
   Electricians	Truck Drivers
   Lathers	Well Drillers
   Operating Engineers	Laborers

   The Procurement Manager should be notified when the design of the bid is to include any or some of these trades as the state must be contacted to register such projects.