Inspection & Maintenance of Radio Communications Towers

In compliance with this invitation for bids, and subject to all the conditions thereof, the signatory
offers, if this bid is accepted within ninety (90) calendar days from the date of the opening, to
furnish any or all of the items and/or services upon which prices are quoted, at the price set
opposite each item, to be delivered at the time and place specified herein. The previous page
signature certifies he has read, understands, and agrees to all terms, conditions, and
requirements of this bid, and is authorized to contract on behalf of firm named above.
IF YOU NEED ANY REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR ANY TYPE OF DISABILITY IN
ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCUREMENT, PLEASE CONTACT THIS DIVISION AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE.
BID OPENING
Bids shall be publicly opened and read aloud on the date that the bids are accepted. Public
opening will be held April 30, 2026, at 3:00 PM (local prevailing time), in the City of Suffolk City
Hall, Purchasing Conference Room, located at 442 W. Washington Street, Suffolk, VA 23434-
5237.
ALL BIDS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO PURCHASING PRIOR TO 3:00 P.M.
SUBMITTALS
Bidder should submit the entire IFB as their bid package.
Bids will be accepted through EVA.
For bids mailed or hand delivered, mark outside of envelope with the Invitation for Bid number
IFB 26119-JT and submitting company's name
Note: Any bidder failing to mark the outside of the envelope, as set forth herein may not be
entitled to have their bid considered.
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INVITATION FOR BID
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Inspection & Maintenance of Radio Communications Towers
SECTION/TITLE
PURPOSE .......................................................................................................................... - 4 -
COMPETITION INTENDED ................................................................................................ - 4 -
CONTRACT PERIOD ......................................................................................................... - 4 -
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS ............................................................................................ - 4 -
ANNUAL INSPECTION SERVICES ................................................................................................................ - 7 -
ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS ................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS ................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
BID FORM ........................................................................................................................ - 25 -
ANTICOLLUSION/NONDISCRIMINATION/DRUG FREE WORKPLACE CLAUSES ........ - 27 -
PROOF OF AUTHORITY TO TRANSACT BUSINESS IN VIRGINIA .....................................28
EXCEPTION PAGE ...............................................................................................................29
INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................................30
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PURPOSE
The intent of this Invitation for Bid (IFB) is to establish an annual contract for Radio
Communications Tower Inspection and Maintenance Services, to include ancillary parts
and services, which will provide for the proper inspection, preventative maintenance and
any corrective maintenance needed for the City's five (5), two-way radio communications
towers. Maintenance shall include parts, labor and travel to all five (5) tower sites.
Bid price shall include vehicle(s), per diem, and all tools and incidental materials and
supplies required to perform the services described herein in accordance with all
specifications, terms, and conditions of the IFB.
COMPETITION INTENDED
It is the City's intent that this Invitation for Bid (IFB) permits competition. It shall be the
bidder's responsibility to advise the Senior Buyer in writing if any language requirement,
specification, etc., or any combination thereof, inadvertently restricts or limits the
requirements stated in this IFB to a single source.
CONTRACT PERIOD
The contract shall cover the period beginning June 1, 2026 and continuing through May
31, 2027.
This contract may be renewed based on the terms and conditions at the expiration of its
term at the sole discretion of the City. Automatic renewals will occur for up to four (4)
additional one-year periods through May 31, 2031. The right is further reserved by the
City to not renew the resulting contract at the expiration of the anniversary date by
furnishing the contractor with thirty (30) days written notice.
Initial rates and subsequent renewal rates must be guaranteed for a minimum of twelve
(12) months. Any increase in rates shall be limited to the lesser of the Consumer Price
Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U) - Other Goods and Services (unadjusted for the
current 12 month period) or three percent (3%). The City does not guarantee any rate
increase.
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
Project Goals and Objective
It is the goal of this project to implement a radio communications tower inspection and
maintenance program that ensures FCC and FAA Regulatory Compliance, ensures
satisfactory technical operation, and complies with insurance requirements to include
required annual inspections and accountability in the event of accident.
Work shall include annual inspections of five (5) radio communications tower sites,
routine maintenance and repair, and the submission of comprehensive written reports of
same to the City of Suffolk.
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Tower sites to be inspected and maintained are as follows:
Tower Size Location
Whaleyville 400' (guyed) Off 6430 Whaleyville Blvd.
Driver 400' (guyed) Off King's Highway (Seaboard Trail)
Downtown Site 300' (self-supporting) 132 Pender St.
Pruden 300' (self-supporting) 441 Pruden Blvd. (Route 460)
Hunter 300' (self-supporting) 5850 Greenwood Rd.
Performance Standards
All work shall be performed in compliance with the following:
a. FCC Rules and Regulations, Part 17 - Construction, Marking and Lighting of
Antenna Structures
b. FAA Advisory Circular, AC No: 70/7460-1H with Changes, Obstruction Marking
and Lighting
c. EIA Standard, EIA-222-D, Structural Standards for Steel Antenna Towers and
Antenna Supporting Structures
d. Applicable Local Building Codes (e.g. BOCA, NEC, etc.)
e. Tower manufacturer preventative and corrective maintenance requirements,
including emergency procedures
The Contractor shall be responsible for the cited regulations only with regard to
application to maintenance of the tower structure and appurtenances. Compliance with
regard to transmitting and receiving equipment and operations shall be the responsibility
of others.
Project Manager
One representative shall be designated by the Contractor as Project Manager and as a
sole source of contact between the City and Contractor. The Project Manager shall bear
full responsibility for supervising and coordinating the implementation and continuation of
this contract.
Assignment of other personnel to serve as Project Manager by the vendor shall be
subject to concurrence by the City; a resume stating the experience and qualifications of
the Project Manager will be included in the vendor's bid.
The successful vendor may be asked to describe the project management system that
will be used to implement and continue the proposed contract on schedule.
Sites Visit
Prior to submitting a bid, each Bidder must examine the specifications, terms, and
conditions thoroughly. He should visit the tower site locations to familiarize himself with
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Federal, State and Local laws, ordinance, rules and regulations that may in any manner
affect the costs, progress or performance of the work. The Contractor shall study and
carefully correlate his observations with the bid documents.
The submission of a bid will constitute an incontrovertible representation by the Bidder
that he has complied with every requirement of this section and that the bid documents
are sufficient in scope and detail to indicate and convey understanding of all terms and
conditions for the performance of the work.
Access to visit job sites may be arranged by calling one of the following:
Jason Rausch, Radio System Manager, at (o) (757) 514-7205 or (c) (757) 404-0188
Repairs and Parts
Any parts and/or services used by the vendor shall meet or exceed the specifications of
the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) of the structure or equipment involved.
Any routine parts or services required to provide professionally maintained radio
communications tower facilities and not specifically mentioned herein, shall be provided
by the vendor without claim for additional payment. It is understood that this proposed
contract and agreement contemplates and requires inspection and maintenance of
completely operational radio communications tower facilities which meet the standards of
reliability and quality expected of a local government public safety radio communications
system.
The Bidder shall provide the City with a list of any additional parts and/or services, along
with a cost estimate, for any work to be performed beyond the scope of this contract; any
parts not covered under this agreement, but recommended by the Contractor, shall
become the responsibility of the City. The City reserves the right to seek additional
competition for any major renovations over $5,000.00.
All maintenance items shall be performed to ensure favorable review when inspected by
FAA and FCC. Any work which fails to meet the standards of said inspections shall be
corrected by the Contractor at no additional cost to the City.
The Contractor shall be required to carry an inventory of parts required for general
maintenance of the tower structures to maintain structural integrity and warning lights.
Inventory for maintenance of transmitting or receiving equipment shall be the
responsibility of others.
Service Response
Emergency response service shall be provided twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7)
days a week. Response to equipment failures, particularly obstruction lighting failures,
shall be made within twenty-four (24) hours of notification by the City's Emergency
Communications Center.
A sufficient supply of spare replacement parts shall be maintained by the vendor to allow
immediate restoration of essential operations of the tower site. Other parts shall be
available via emergency procurement request and delivered within twenty-four (24) hours
of the equipment failure.
If requested, vendor shall make recommendations in regard to essential spare parts to be
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maintained by the City to assure rapid restoration of integral tower services in the event
of component failure.
Warranties
All equipment furnished, if any, shall be fully warranted for a minimum period of one (1)
year from the date of installation. Such warranty shall cover parts and labor. Vendor
shall provide a copy of provisions and terms of any proposed warranty in compliance with
the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Bidder Qualifications
Only bids from established contractors for work similar in scope of work herein, shall be
considered; each vendor submitting a bid shall have been actively engaged in the
installation, maintenance and repair of public safety radio communications towers for a
period of at least three (3) years. The Contractor shall have installed and/or maintained a
minimum of three (3) public safety radio communications tower facilities similar to those
specified in this document. A list of these will be provided with the BID FORM and should
include name, email address and telephone of an official or agency responsible for its
operation.
Permits and Fees
Any permits and licenses necessary for the prosecution of the work shall be secured by
the Contractor.
Documentation
The Contractor shall provide comprehensive written reports of services and dates
performed once each year. Work required, if any, to bring towers into conformance with
prudent standard of safety shall be noted.
ANNUAL INSPECTION SERVICES
General Inspection Requirements
Annual inspection of the five (5) tower sites shall take place in the month of July of each
year, unless otherwise approved by the City.
The successful vendor shall provide a two-man (minimum number) team, trained and
qualified to ensure high quality and complete annual inspections of the City's five (5) radio
communications tower sites. Inspections shall include tower structures, antennas,
shelters, transmission lines and related site conditions.
The assigned two-man inspection team shall complete all the inspection work identified
within the Scope of Work details listed below and shall submit all findings and repair work
performed on a comprehensive written report to the City.
During each tower site evaluation, small repairs shall be executed by team members to
include tightening hardware, guy wire tensioning, repair of grounding kits, changing light
bulbs, and all other maintenance listed herein.
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All inspections shall be summarized on the comprehensive inspection services report.
This report shall be individually completed and returned to the City for each site
inspected.
An inventory of installed material shall be provided by the contractor for each site. The
inventory shall include antennas, transmission lines, connectors, and related material;
this shall also include remaining tower space available on cable ladders and on building
waveguide bridges and cable entry ports.
Replacement parts for authorized repairs (not general maintenance) shall be billed at the
Contractor's actual invoice cost. Copies of all invoices for parts shall be provided with
the Contractor's invoice for labor. Any charges in addition to labor rates must be
approved in advance by the City.
With each annual inspection, Contractor shall review the tower structures for compliance
with current regulatory requirements and advise the City of any deficiencies and provide a
cost estimate for the recommended improvements.
The Contractor shall document by photograph any known condition which is deemed
hazardous and shall provide a cost estimate for corrective action.
Inspection Stipulations
Each inspection team shall visually inspect all sites scheduled for inspection, correct all
deficiencies or report as appropriate, and complete the comprehensive inspection
services report and any other report forms required by the City. The following work items
shall be performed during each inspection:
Transmission Line
Check for proper dehydrator function (if appropriate).
Check for pressure leaks (if appropriate).
Insure that all coaxial and waveguide supports are not more than four (4) feet apart.
Check for loose or missing coaxial and waveguide hangers.
Check for damage and loose or missing bolts.
Guy Wire
Check guy wire for broken strands.
Check guy initial tensions; plumb tower and adjust tension using dynamometer to
specifications, if necessary.
Foundation
Check for cracks in the cement.
Check for surface breakup.
Check for crumbling of foundation.
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Check grout.
Check for erosion around foundation.
Check exposed grounds for corrosion.
Check all caldwelds for tightness and continuity.
Check for rust stains and attempt to identify source.
Rust and Corrosion
Check for any particular portion of the tower that appears to have rust and/or corrosion.
Check to see if galvanizing is flaking.
Inspect for any galvanic action (corrosion).
Check each reflector and antenna adjustment for rust.
Check guy pull-off plates and rods for corrosion and rust.
Check guy cable clamps for rust.
Check all turnbuckles and other hardware for rust and, if necessary, brush and paint with
primer and finish coat.
Carefully inspect guy wires for rust and flanking.
Check for rust on ice shield(s).
Check coaxial cable and waveguide hanger bolts for rust.
Antenna
Check physical condition of antennas, specifically dents, bent feed guy wires, bullet
holes, and paint condition.
Check all antennas, reflectors, and stiff arm/standoff hardware for loose or missing bolts.
Check all radomes and exposed parabolics for damage and looseness.
Inspect all other two-way radio antennas, coaxial cables, and fittings for any
abnormalities.
Check horn antenna pressure with flow meter (if appropriate).
Check for rust and surface conditions of all mounts.
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Electric Fixtures
Check all electric fixtures for proper operation and insure that all hasps and safety chains
on the fixtures are secure, and all drain holes in the fixture base are clear and
unobstructed.
Check photo cell operation and repair as necessary.
Provide labor and materials to re-lamp towers completely on an annual basis.
Provide emergency interim re-lamping service within 24 hours of notification with no
additional charge for labor or materials whenever one or more lamps have failed.
Building and Site
Check door seals for weather tightness and door hinges for damage and alignment.
Look for any evidence of tampering.
Check for water, rodent or insect penetration. Attempt to trace to source (if appropriate).
Check building and roof generally for damage.
Check tower alignment, and make adjustments necessary to insure it is not out of plumb.
Check tower structure for bows or kinks or missing or bent members.
Check sample of tower bolts for tightness and replace any that are missing.
Check the following for damage and general condition:
* Fences
* Fence ground connectors (caldwelds)
* Propane tanks (including stands, foundations and pads)
Check commercial power service entrance for damaged or broken cables and corrosion
on exposed panel boxes.
Check condition of access road and parking area.
Tower Paint
Check tower paint for peeling, flaking and fading.
Check the visual effectiveness of the paint.
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