Aquarium Operation & Maintenance

Board President Board Trustee
Richard T. Pollack Brad Long
Board Vice President Board Trustee
Benjamin W. Bernsten Ed Grondzki
Board Clerk/Treasurer Executive Director
Richard Mowris Christopher T. Baer Y
FOUR RIVERS SANITATON AUTHORITY
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS #27-201
AQUARIUM OPERATION & MAINTENANCE N
Date: May 20, 2026 O
Name of Proposing Firm: __________________________________________________
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Address: _____________________________________________________________
City: _________________________________ State: ___________E Zip: ___________
Phone: ___________________________ Fax: ____________S___________________
Email: _________________________________
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Proposal Due Date and Time: 4:00 p.m., June 10, 2026
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Proposals will be accepted until the specified due date and time. Any proposal delivered
after the due date and time will be refused. R
Mandatory Pre-Proposal Meeting: Y
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Performance Bond: Y
Bid Bond: Y
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Prevailing Wage: Y
PLEASE MARK THE RETUWRN SEALED ENVELOPE:
1. Proposal Due Date and Time
2. Title of Job
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3. Proposal Number
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SEND PROPOSAVLS TO:
Four Rivers Sanitation Authority
3501 KishwaEukee Street
Rockford, IL 61109
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If the proposer chooses to hand-deliver their proposal, it must be deposited in the Bid Box in the
main lobby or handed to the Customer Service receptionist of the Graceffa Administration
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Building, 3501 Kishwaukee Street, Rockford, IL 61109, between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 4:00
P.M., Monday through Friday, except for holidays.
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PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED BY FAX OR EMAIL.
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The Illinois Department of Human Rights registration number must be provided with the
proposal on the proposal due date.
Proposal results are available after contracts are awarded at the Regular Meeting of the
Board of Trustees, held on the fourth Monday of the month. Please call 815-387-7425 or visit
fourrivers.illinois.gov
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SECTION I
NOTICEP
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS #27-201
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AQUARIUM OPERATION & MAINTENANCE
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NOTICE
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FOUR RIVERS SANITATION AUTHORITY
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS #27-201
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AQUARIUM OPERATION & MAINTENANCE
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Four Rivers Sanitation Authority (FRSA, Authority) will receive sealed and signed proposals for
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Aquarium Operation & Maintenance. Proposals must be submitted to the Four Rivers
Sanitation Authority Graceffa Administration offices located at 3501 Kishwaukee Street,
Rockford, Illinois 61109 until 4:00 p.m., June 10, 2026.
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The scope of this proposal involves operating and maintaining the life support system and filtration
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system for the aquarium and pond in the lobby of the Graceffa Administration Building.
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Each bid must be accompanied by cash or a certified or bank cashier's check on a solvent bank
or trust company, drawn to the order of the Four Rivers Sanitation Authority, or an acceptable Bid
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Bond on the form attached, in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the total bid price.
This sum is a guarantee that, if the proposal is accepted, a contract will be entered into.
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The successful bidder will be required to furniRsh a satisfactory performance and payment of
vendor bonds in the full amount of the bid.
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Prevailing Wage - Public Act 100-1177 (820 ILCS 130) requires the Bidder to comply with
prevailing wages in accordance with Pthe Illinois Department of Labor Standards.
Copies of the RFP for review purpo ses only are available through the Four Rivers Sanitation
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Authority website fourrivers.illinois.gov. Proposal documents for submittal are available by
contacting Purchasing at purchasing@fourrivers.illinois.gov or (815) 387-7425.
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The Authority will conduct a MANDATORY pre-proposal meeting at 2:00 p.m. on May 27, 2026.
The meeting will begIin in the Board Room of the Graceffa Administration Building at 3501
Kishwaukee St., VRockford, IL 61109.
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No proposal is to be withdrawn without the consent of the Authority for sixty (60) days after
the closing time of receiving the proposals.
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Four Rivers Sanitation Authority reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, or any part
thereof, or to accept any or all proposals, or any part thereof, or to waive any formalities in any
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proposals, deemed in the best interest of the Four Rivers Sanitation Authority.
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The Authority will confirm any award decision in writing, to the successful offeror.
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Lisa Mittel
Assistant Director of Management Services
Four Rivers Sanitation Authority
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SECTION II
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GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS #27-201
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AQUARIUM OPERATION & MAINTENANCE
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GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS
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FOUR RIVERS SANITATION AUTHORITY
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS #27-201
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AQUARIUM OPERATION & MAINTENANCE
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2.1 Important Dates
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* Proposal Release Date: May 20, 2026
* Mandatory Pre-Proposal Meeting: May 27, 2026, 2:00 p.m.
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* Last Day to Accept Questions: June 3, 2026
* Last Day to Issue Addenda: June 5, 2026
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* Proposal Due Date: 4:00 P.M., June 10, 2026
* Interviews: TBD S
* Anticipated Award Date: June 22, 2026
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2.2 Proposal Preparation
Where applicable, the respondent must submit their proposal on the forms the Authority
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provides in this document. The respondent must complete all applicable blanks.
Respondent may submit additional information as they believe necessary on their
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stationery, under signature of the authorized representative who completes this
document's forms.
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If this Request for Proposals contains inconsistencies or contradictions between sections,
Section III - Detailed SpecificationsP supersede Section II - General Specifications, which
supersede Section I - Notice. No warranty is made or implied as to information
contained in these specifications.
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An authorized officer or individual must sign the proposal. The authorized signature must
be the individual owner of a proprietorship, a general partner of a partnership, or the
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corporation officer who is authorized to sign for a firm and whose title is affixed.
All prices and notaItions must be in ink or typewritten. The respondent may cross out
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mistakes and type corrections adjacent to the point of error. The person who signs the
proposal must initial such corrections, in ink. If the Authority finds a respondent's entry
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to be illegible, it may, at its sole discretion, reject the proposal.
2.3 RSubmission of Proposals
The Authority will not receive proposals in an electronic format, by e-mail or internet or
by facsimile. The respondent must return their proposal, clearly marked as "Request for
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Proposal #27-201: Aquarium Operation & Maintenance". The Authority cannot
ensure that the sealed proposal will not be prematurely opened if the respondent
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does not properly label their proposal envelope.
Proposals sent via USPS or other package delivery service should be addressed to:
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Four Rivers Sanitation Authority
3501 Kishwaukee Street
Rockford, IL 61109
If the respondent chooses to hand-deliver their proposal, it must be deposited in the Bid
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Box or handed to the Customer Service receptionist in the lobby of the Graceffa
Administration Building, 3501 Kishwaukee Street, Rockford, IL 61109, between the hours
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of 8:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M., Monday through Friday, except for holidays.
The Authority cannot represent or guarantee that any information submitted in response Lto
the Invitation to Bid will be confidential. If the Authority receives a request for any document
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submitted in response to the Invitation to Bid, the Authority's sole responsibility will be to
notify respondent of a request for such document to allow the respondent to seek protection
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from disclosure in a court of competent jurisdiction. No documentation will be provided under
FOIA until the contract has been awarded.
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2.4 Bid Security
Each bid must be accompanied either by cash, an original certifiedE or bank cashier's check
on a solvent bank or trust company, or a bidder's bond (form attached) from acceptable
surety, drawn to the order of the Four Rivers Sanitation AuthSority in an amount of not less
than ten percent (10%) of the bid price, issued by a surety company licensed to conduct
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business in the State of Illinois and named in the current list of "Surety Companies
Acceptable On Federal Bonds" as published in the Federal Register by the Audit Staff
Bureau of Accounts, U.S. Treasury Department. PFailure to provide a Bid Security in the
amount specified will constitute sufficient cause for rejection of the bid.
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Within three (3) days after the opening of bids, the bid securities of all but the three lowest
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bidders will be returned. The bid security of the remaining two unsuccessful bidders will
be returned within three (3) days after the execution of the contract, or, if no such contract
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has been executed, within sixty (60) days after the date of opening of bids. The bid security
of the successful bidder will be returned only after he has duly executed the contract and
furnished the required insuWrance.
2.5 Illinois Department of Human Rights Registration Number
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All proposers, regardless of location, must provide an Illinois Department of Human
Rights Registration Number with the proposal on the due date. This number must be
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written or typed on the line in the Fair Employment Affidavit of Compliance (included in
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the documents you receive). The following link may be used to access the website where
the numbEer can be obtained: https://dhr.illinois.gov/public-contracts.html
2.6 Performance Bond
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The successful proposer must provide a Performance Bond acceptable to the Four Rivers
Sanitation Authority. The performance bond must be for either 100% of the annual
contract price or for the successful respondent's unit price times the estimated number of
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units, as applicable. The performance bond must be submitted annually on or before its
expiration date, and within 10 business days of the award anniversary date for the entire
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length of the Contract period. This Request for Proposals contains a Performance Bond
form and Payment of Vendor Bond for the successful proposer's use. If the successful
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proposer fails to provide acceptable bonds within the specified time they are in default.
2.7 Exceptions
Exceptions to any part of the requirements stated in this request must be clearly identified
as exceptions. The stated exceptions and any alternatives offered must be included in
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Section 3 at the specific point at which the exception is taken (see "Proposal Response
Format").
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Submission of a Proposal indicates acceptance by the Proposer of the conditions
contained in this Request for Proposals, unless clearly and specifically noted in thLe
Proposal submitted and confirmed in the contract between FRSA and the Proposer
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selected.
2.8 Proposal Response Format O
Submit three hard copies of the proposal and one copy on a flash drive. Proposal format
should conform to that prescribed below:
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Section 1 - Required Documents
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1. Proof of required insurance (COI, additional insured endorsements)
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2. Qualification Form
3. Proposal Form O
4. Fair Employment Practices Affidavit of Compliance
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5. Forms of Affidavit
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Section 2 - Executive Summary/Overview
Executive Summary - An Uexecutive summary detailing the Proposer's
competence, qualifications, past experience, and number of years providing
Aquarium Operation &P Maintenance as described in this RFP. The summary
should explain the Proposer's understanding of the Authority's intent and
objectives and how the ir Proposal would achieve those objectives.
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Section 3 - Main Body of Response
Include a complete copy (all pages and content) of this RFP document and
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Specifications document with all sections completed. Proposers must provide
a complete, point-by-point response whereby the proposer responds to or
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acknVowledges all proposal specifications, requirements and contract terms.
Incomplete documents may be deemed unresponsive and therefore eliminated
Efrom consideration.
2.9 Taxes
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This Authority is exempt, by law, from paying Federal Excise Tax and Illinois Retailers'
Oc cupational Tax. Therefore, the respondent must exclude those taxes from their
Rproposal. The Authority's tax exemption number is E9992-3696. The respondent must
include all applicable taxes in their proposal price.
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2.10 Withdrawal of Proposals
At any time prior to the scheduled proposal deadline, the respondent may withdraw their
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proposal. In order to do so, they must submit a written request to the Assistant Director
of Management Services.
2.11 Acceptance of Proposals/Form, Preparation, and Presentation of Proposals
If the proposal contains any omissions, erasures, alterations, additions or items not called
for in the itemized proposal, or contains irregularities of any kind, such may constitute
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sufficient cause for rejection of proposal. In case of any discrepancy in the unit price or
amount proposed for any item in the proposal, the unit price as expressed in figures will
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govern.
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The Authority may reject all or part of any or all proposals, for any reason. The Authority
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may accept all or part of any proposal or waive any formalities if it decides such action is
in the Authority's best interest.
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The Authority will only consider proposals that conform to the intent of this document. The
Authority will reject proposals that contain one or more exceptions if the Authority
determines that non-conforming proposals deviate from the intent of thSese specifications.
The Authority's decision is final, and the Authority's procurement procedures contain no
appeal provision. E
2.12 Laws and Regulations
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The respondent who is awarded the contract must comply with all laws of the United
States of America, the State of Illinois, and all lawfOul regulations of the Four Rivers
Sanitation Authority and the respective cities and villages in which the professional
service and material supplied is to be performed respecting labor and compensation and
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all other statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations applicable and having the force of the
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A. Illinois Regulations
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1. In accordance with Illinois Public Act 102-0265, the Four Rivers Sanitation Authority is
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required to make a good faith effort to collect and publish certain demographic
information provided by vend ors and subcontractors doing business with the Authority.
The Act requires FRSWA to report whether a vendor or subcontractor is a minority,
women, or veteran-owned business as defined by Illinois Law. In addition, the
Authority is required to disclose if the business is certified as a small business under
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federal Small Business Administration standards. The successful proposer will be
required to provide this information upon contract award.
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2. Prevailing Wage - Public Act 100-1177 (820 ILCS 130) requires the Bidder to comply
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with prevailing wages in accordance with the Illinois Department of Labor Standards.
The State of Illinois requires contractors and subcontractors on Authority projects to
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submit certified payroll reports via the State's Certified Transcript of Payroll Portal
currently found at:
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https://www2.illinois.gov/idol/Lawsrules/CONMED/Pages/certifiedtranscriptofpayroll.aspx
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The Bidder is responsible for verifying current information on the State's website.
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3. Public Act 96-929 (30 ILCS 570) provides that Illinois residents be employed on Illinois
public works projects, provided there has been a period of excessive unemployment
(5%) in the State of Illinois as defined in the Act; and, further, that Illinois workers are
available and capable of performing the particular type work involved.
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4. Public Act 101-0221 requires that any party to a contract adopt and promulgate written
sexual harassment policies that include, as a minimum, the following information:
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a. the illegality of sexual harassment
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b. the definition of sexual harassment under Illinois State law
c. a description of sexual harassment, utilizing examples N
d. my (our) organization's internal complaint process including penalties
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e. the legal recourse, investigative and complaint process available through the
Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Illinois Human Rights
Commission
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f. directions on how to contact the Department and the Commission
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g. protection against retaliation as provided by Section 6-101 of the Illinois
Human Rights Act
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Upon request, this information must be provided to the Illinois Department of Human
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Rights and Authority.
5. With regard to nondiscrimination in employmenPt, the Contractor for this project will be
required to comply with the Illinois Fair Employment Practices Commission's Rules and
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6. The Contractor for this project must comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
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7. The Contractor for this project must comply with the Federal Drug-Free Workplace Act.
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8. Americans with Disabilities Act - The Contractor for this project will comply with all
applicable requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The
Contractor will hold Wharmless and indemnify Four Rivers Sanitation Authority
(AUTHORITY) and their representatives from all:
a) suits, claims, oEr actions
b) costs, either for defense (including but not limited to reasonable attorney's fees and
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expert witness fees) or for settlement
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c) damages of any kind (including but not limited to actual, punitive, and compensatory
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damages)
rRelating in any way to or arising out of the ADA, to which said firm is exposed or which
it incurs in the execution of the contract.
2.13 Terms
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A. Payments to the Successful Respondent. If the Authority receives an acceptable
invoice for conforming materials prior to the fifth day of the month, the Authority will issue
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payment before the fifth day of the succeeding month. If received on or after the fifth day
of the month, payment will be issued the following month.
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B. Default. In case of default, the Authority will procure the materials and service
described in this Request for Proposals from other sources. The Authority to hold the
defaulting successful respondent responsible for any excess cost incurred. The defaulting
successful respondent must make such payment no more than sixty (60) calendar days
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after the Authority notifies the successful respondent, in writing, of such an occurrence.
C. Delivery Hours. Unless otherwise specified, all items must be delivered to: Four Y
Rivers Sanitation Authority, 3333 Kishwaukee Street, Rockford, Illinois, 61109, Monday
through Friday, between the hours of 7:30 A.M. and 3:00 P.M., excluding holidays. L
In the unlikely event that the Authority is picketed by its employees or by a third pNarty, or
if any labor-management dispute between the Authority and its employees or third parties
becomes known to the successful bidder, then in such event and during the cOourse of any
such picketing or labor-management dispute, the successful bidder must continue to carry
out the terms and conditions of this contract as if such pickets were not p resent or such
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labor-management dispute did not exist.
D. F.O.B. Point and Shipping Charges. All prices must be quEoted F.O.B. destination,
Four Rivers Sanitation Authority, 3333 Kishwaukee St., Rockford, Illinois, 61109. All
shipping, handling and freight charges must be included in tShe proposal amount.
E. Use of Authority Name Prohibited. In the absence of the Authority's written
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permission, the successful respondent must not use the Authority's name in any form or
medium of public advertising.
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2.14 Quantities Estimated Only
The estimated quantities of the various itemsR of work and materials, as set forth in the bid
form, is approximate only and is given solely to be used as a uniform basis for the
comparison of bids. The quantities actuaUlly required to complete the contract work may be
less or more than so estimated, and if awarded a contract for the work specified, the
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Contractor further agrees that they will not make any claim for damages or for loss of profits
or for an extension of time because of a difference between the quantities of the various
classes of work assumed for comparison of bids and quantities of work performed.
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2.15 Investigation
It is the responsibility of the respondent to make any and all investigations necessary to
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become thoroughly informed of what is required and specified in the proposal. No plea of
ignorance by the respondent of conditions that exist or that may hereafter exist as a result
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of failure or omVission on the part of the respondent to make necessary examinations and
investigations will be accepted on a basis for varying the requirements of the Authority or
the compEensation of the respondent.
2.16 Addenda and Interpretation
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No interpretation of the meaning of the Plans, Specifications, or other Contract Documents
will be made to any proposer orally. Requests for interpretation must be emailed to
RPurchasing@fourrivers.illinois.gov or mailed to Four Rivers Sanitation Authority, 3501
Kishwaukee Street, Rockford, Illinois, 61109. Any and all such interpretations and any
Osupplemental instructions will be in the form of written addenda. To be given consideration,
such request must be received at least five (5) business days prior to the proposal due date.
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If the Authority issues written addenda, such addenda become part of the contract
documents. Not less than three (3) business days prior to the proposal due date, the
Authority will post the addenda, if any, on its website at fourrivers.illinois.gov, and distribute
the addenda via email to each recipient of the specifications, at either the:
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