Audit Services

Agency:	Town of Watertown
State:	Connecticut
Type of Government:	State & Local
NAICS Category:	541211 - Offices of Certified Public Accountants 541219 - Other Accounting Services
Posted Date:	Mar 3, 2023
Due Date:	Mar 15, 2023
Bid Source:	Please Login to View Page
Contact information:	Please Login to View Page
Bid Documents:	Please Login to View Page

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TOWN OF WATERTOWN

WATERTOWN, CONNECTICUT

NOTICE OF BID

Financial Audit Services

Sealed bids are invited and will be received by the Purchasing Agent of the Town of Watertown until

11:00 a.m., Thursday, March 16, 2023. at the office of the Purchasing Agent, Town Hall 61 Echo

Lake Road, Watertown, Connecticut, at which time and place they will be publicly opened and read

aloud for furnishing financial audit services to the Town of Watertown.

The Information for Bidders, Form of Bid, Specifications and other contract documents may be

obtained or examined at the office of the Purchasing Agent, Town Hall, 61 Echo Lake Road,

Watertown, Connecticut 06795 or by accessing the Town of Watertown’s website at

www.watertownct.org. Proposals must be submitted on the forms provided and in a sealed envelope

plainly marked "Bid - Financial Audit Services".

Bids to receive consideration must be in the hands of the Purchasing Agent or his authorized

representative, no later than the day and hour mentioned above.

The Purchasing Agent reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids; to waive any

informalities; or to accept any bid deemed in the best interests of the Town of Watertown.

The Town of Watertown reserves the right to take into account the residency of bidders within the

Town of Watertown and/or the location of the bidder's business within the Town of Watertown in

awarding this bid.

All bids will be considered valid for a period of ninety (90) days.

Donna L. Ford

Purchasing Agent

Town of Watertown

INFORMATION FOR BIDDERS

TOWN OF WATERTOWN

WATERTOWN, CONNECTICUT 06795

Financial Audit Services

BID OPENING: 11:00 a.m., Thursday, March 16, 2023

PROPOSALS RECEIVED

All bids must be in a sealed envelope and received prior to 11:00 a.m., Thursday, March 16, 2023,

at the office of the Purchasing Agent, 61 Echo Lake Road, Watertown, Connecticut 06795.

INTENT

These specifications are intended to provide financial audit services to the Town of Watertown for

three (3) one-year engagements for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2023; June 30, 2024; and June

30, 2025. The Watertown Town Charter requires an independent auditor be appointed annually by

the Town Council for each one-year term.

It is the intention of the present Town Council that the same audit firm be engaged for each of the

aforementioned years, providing satisfactory performance is maintained. It should be understood this

intention of the present Town Council is not binding on future Town Councils.

PREPARATION OF PROPOSALS

Proposals must be made upon forms contained herein. The blank spaces in the Proposal must be

filled in correctly where indicated. The Bidder must state the prices for which he proposes to do

each item of the work contemplated. In case of discrepancy where both words and the numerals are

requested, the words shall govern. Ditto marks are not considered writing or printing and shall not

be used. The Bidder shall sign his Proposal correctly. If the Proposal is made by an individual, his

name, post office address and telephone number must be shown. If made by a firm, partnership, or

corporation, the Proposal must be signed by an official of the firm, partnership, or corporation

authorized to sign contracts, and must show the post office address and telephone number of the

firm, partnership, or corporation. Failure to do so may disqualify the bid.

Each bid must be submitted in a sealed envelope bearing on the outside the name of the Bidder, post

office address, and name of the project for which the bid is submitted. If forwarded by mail, the

sealed envelope containing the bid must be enclosed in another envelope addressed to: The

Purchasing Agent, Town Hall, 61 Echo Lake Road, Watertown, CT 06795.

All information shall be entered in ink or by typewriter. Mistakes may be crossed out and corrections

inserted before submission of your bid. Corrections shall be initialed in ink by the person signing the

bid.

Corrections and/or modifications received after the closing time specified will not be accepted.

All proposals and literature shall be submitted IN DUPLICATE on the proposal form, which is a

part of these specifications.

Descriptive literature containing complete specifications must accompany each bid. If a bidder

wishes to furnish additional information, more sheets may be added.

INCURRING COSTS

The Town of Watertown is not liable for any cost incurred for the preparation of proposals or

submission of samples by the firms submitting proposals for the work requested in this bid document

or request for proposals.

FAMILIARITY WITH THE WORK

Each bidder is considered to have examined the work to fully acquaint himself with the exact

existing conditions relating to the work and has fully informed himself as to the work involved and

the difficulties and restrictions attending the performance of this bid. Failure to do so will not relieve

a bidder of his obligation to furnish all services associated with the financial audit of the Town of

Watertown as described herein for the consideration set forth in this bid. The submission of a bid

will be considered as conclusive evidence that the bidder has made such examination.

CONSIDERATION OF PRIOR SERVICE

Previous performance, quality of service and merchandise will be considered.

ADDENDA AND INTERPRETATIONS & ALTERNATE PROPOSALS

At the time of the opening of bids each bidder will be presumed to have inspected the work and to

have read and to be thoroughly familiar with all of the Contract Documents (including all addenda).

The failure or omission of any bidder to receive or examine any form, instruction or document shall

in no way relieve any bidder from any obligation in respect to his bid.

If any person contemplating submitting a proposal is in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of

these specifications, he may submit a written request for an interpretation to the Purchasing Agent.

No interpretations as to the meaning of the plans, specifications or other Contract Documents will be

made to any bidder orally.

Every request for such interpretation should be in writing addressed (duplicate copy) to the Town of

Watertown, Purchasing Agent, 61 Echo Lake Road, Watertown, Connecticut 06795, and to be given

consideration, must be received at least five (5) days prior to the date fixed for the opening of Bids.

Any and all such interpretations and any supplementary instructions will be in the form of written

Addenda to the Specifications which, if issued, will be mailed by Registered Mail with Return

Receipt Requested to all prospective bidders at the respective addresses furnished for such purposes,

not later than three (3) days prior to the date fixed for the opening of bids. Failure of any bidder to

receive any such Addendum or interpretations shall not relieve any bidder from any obligations

under his bid as submitted. All Addenda so issued shall become part of the Contract Documents.

Oral explanations will not be binding on the Town.

The specifications listed are to be interpreted as meaning the minimum acceptable by the Town of

Watertown. Bidders are requested to submit quotations on the basis of these specifications.

Alternative bids providing a broader scope and/or services than requested in these specifications may

receive consideration providing such equipment and/or service is clearly explained. Any exceptions

to the specifications requested herein must be clearly noted in writing and are to be included as a part

of your bid proposal. If none are included it will be assumed that there are none.

Definition of the word "complete" means that the service proposed shall include all services

ordinarily associated for the scope of services specified.

An item equal to that named or described in the specifications may be furnished by the Bidder. The

naming of any commercial name, trademark, or other identification shall not be construed to exclude

any item of any manufacturer not mentioned by name, nor limit competition, but shall establish a

standard of equality only. An item shall be considered equal to the item so named or described if:

• It is at least equal in quality, durability, appearance, strength and design.

• It will perform at least equally the function imposed by the design for the work being

contracted for or the material being purchased.

• It conforms substantially, even with deviations, to the detailed requirements for the item

in the specifications.

The Bidder shall hold the Town of Watertown, its officers, agents, servants, and employees,

harmless from liability of any nature or kind because of use of any copyrighted or uncopyrighted

compositions, secret process, patented or unpatented inventions, articles or appliances furnished or

used under this bid, and agrees to defend, at his own expense, any and all actions brought against the

Town of Watertown or himself because of the unauthorized use of such articles.

WITHDRAWAL OF BID

Bidders may withdraw their proposals at any time prior to the bid date. No agent/broker shall

withdraw or cancel their proposal for a period of ninety (90) days after the bid closing date of 11:00

a.m., Thursday, March 16, 2023. The successful agent/broker shall not withdraw, cancel or modify

their proposal.

SUBCONTRACTORS

• Each bidder contemplating the use of any subcontractor shall submit a list of subcontractors

as listed on the Bid Form.

• The apparent low bidder shall file with the Town of Watertown, within five (5) days after the

date of bid opening, a complete list of the names and addresses of competent, responsible and

qualified subcontractors who are actually to perform major portions of the work. This in no

way restricts or limits the requirement that all subcontractors must be approved by the Town.

• Subcontractors listed on the Bid Form or those previously approved may not be changed

without the approval of the Town of Watertown.

Local subcontractors, material suppliers, and labor in the Town of Watertown should be considered

and sought insofar as is practical in the performance of this project.

QUALIFICATION OF BIDDER

In determining the qualifications of a bidder, the Town may consider his record in the performance

of any contracts for similar work into which he may have previously entered; and the Town expressly

reserves the right to reject the bid of such bidder if such record discloses that such bidder, in the

opinion of the Town, has not properly performed such contracts or has habitually, and without just

cause, neglected the payment of bills or has otherwise disregarded his obligations to subcontractors,

suppliers, state or local codes, men or employees of subcontractors.

The Town may make such investigation as he deems necessary to determine the ability of the bidder

to perform the work and the bidder shall furnish to the Town all such information and data for this

purpose as the Town may request. The Town reserves the right to reject any bid if the evidence

submitted by, or the investigation of such bidder fails to satisfy the Town that such bidder is properly

qualified, or that such bidder misrepresented material facts in the bid documents.

DISQUALIFICATION OF BIDDERS

More than one proposal from an individual, firm, partnership, corporation, or an association under

the same or different names will not be considered. Reasonable grounds for believing that any

Bidder is interested in more than one proposal for the work contemplated will cause the rejection of

all proposals in which such Bidder is interested. Any or all proposals in which such Bidder is

interested will be rejected if there is reason for believing that collusion exists among the Bidders and

all participants in such collusion will not be considered in future proposals for the same work.

Proposals in which the prices are obviously unbalanced may be rejected. No Contract will be

awarded except to competent Bidders capable of performing the class of work contemplated.

DELIVERY

Inasmuch as this work concerns fulfilling required State and Federal accounting mandates, the

provisions of this bid relating to the time of performance and completion of the work are of the

essence of this bid. Accordingly, the successful bidder shall commence work upon receipt of the

signed Purchase Order unless the Town shall authorize or direct a further delay, and shall proceed

with the work diligently so as to permit completion of the draft audit report no later than December

15, 2023, December 15, 2024 and December 15, 2025, with the final audit report delivered to

the Town no later than December 22, 2023, December 22, 2024 and December 22, 2025; time

being of the essence with respect to these dates. Failure to meet the established deadlines may

result in the Town reducing the proposed annual audit fee by ten percent (10%) at the Town’s

sole discretion, with no recourse to the Bidder.

BID OPENING	BID DOCUMENT	BID RESULT
Thursday, March 15, 2023 at 11:00 a.m.	Audit Services

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