Radio Communications Tower Removal, Engineering, and Reconstruction

HENRY COUNTY, ILLINOIS

Office of the County Administrator

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

Radio Communications Tower Removal, Engineering, and Reconstruction

SEALED PROPOSALS WILL BE RECEIVED UNTIL THE DATE AND TIME STATED ABOVE.

PROPOSALS RECEIVED AFTER THE DEADLINE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED OR REVIEWED.

Henry County, Illinois (the “County”) is soliciting sealed proposals from qualified contractors, engineering firms, and vendors for the removal of a fallen radio communications tower, an associated engineering study, geotechnical soil testing, and the construction of a new self-supporting 180-foot radio communications tower and all ancillary site work, located at 307 W. Center St., Cambridge, IL 61238 (the “Project”).

Sealed proposals will be received by the Henry County Administrator's Office until 9:00 a.m. local time on Friday, September 11, 2026. Proposals received after this deadline, regardless of cause, will not be accepted or reviewed and will be returned unopened to the sender. Proposers are solely responsible for ensuring timely delivery.

Proposals will be presented to the Henry County Public Safety Committee on Monday, September 14, 2026.

Henry County owns and operates a radio communications tower located at 307 W. Center St., Cambridge, IL 61238, which supports public safety and County communications infrastructure. The existing tower structure has fallen and is no longer in service. The County intends to procure a single point of responsibility or a coordinated set of qualified firms to remove the fallen structure, evaluate and design a replacement facility, perform necessary geotechnical testing, and construct a new self-supporting tower to restore critical communications capability.

The site includes an existing radio communications equipment shelter that will remain in service and must be connected to the new tower structure via an ice bridge as described in Section 3.

The Work is organized into four (4) principal components. Proposers may respond to all components as a prime contractor coordinating necessary subcontractors/subconsultants, or the County may elect to award components separately or to multiple firms, at the County's sole discretion, as further described in Section 8 (Reservation of Rights).

The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, and materials necessary to:

1. Safely dismantle, cut down, and remove the existing fallen radio communications tower structure from the Project site.
2. Remove and properly dispose of all debris, damaged materials, and non-reusable components from the site in accordance with all applicable federal, State of Illinois, and Henry County regulations.
3. Identify, tag, and carefully preserve any tower hardware, antennas, transmission lines, mounting equipment, grounding systems, or other property/equipment that the County or its representative deems reusable for the reconstruction project, and stage or deliver such items to a location designated by the County.
4. Coordinate with the County and/or its representative prior to removal to walk the site and jointly identify equipment presumed to have salvage or reuse value.
5. Restore the ground surface disturbed by removal operations to a safe, graded, and stable condition suitable for subsequent construction activity.
6. Provide documentation (photographs and a written inventory) of all items removed, disposed of, and preserved for reuse.

The Proposer's engineering team shall perform a full engineering study for the design of the replacement tower, including at a minimum:

1. Structural analysis and design of a new self-supporting radio communications tower in accordance with the most current edition of ANSI/TIA-222 (Structural Standard for Antenna Supporting Structures, Antennas, and Small Wind Turbine Support Structures) and all applicable local, State, and federal codes.
2. Determination of the tower height required to meet the County's communications and antenna loading needs, not to exceed 180 feet above grade, unless the engineering study determines that a greater height is structurally or operationally necessary, in which case the engineer shall document the basis for exceeding 180 feet and obtain written County approval prior to proceeding with final design.
3. Loading analysis for all current and reasonably anticipated future antennas, transmission lines, and appurtenances, including ice and wind loading appropriate to the Cambridge, Illinois region. The tower design shall, at a minimum, accommodate the anticipated future equipment loading identified in Section 3.2.1 below, which will be installed by Mobile Communications America under a separate future project.
4. Design of the foundation/concrete pad, grounding system, fencing/security enclosure, electrical service, and site civil improvements necessary to support the tower.
5. Design of an ice bridge connecting the new tower to the existing radio communications equipment shelter, sized to support all transmission lines and cabling.
6. Preparation of stamped construction drawings and specifications suitable for permitting and competitive construction bidding, bearing the seal of an engineer licensed in the State of Illinois.
7. Coordination of and assistance with all required regulatory filings and approvals, including FAA obstruction evaluation (if applicable based on final height), FCC Antenna Structure Registration (if applicable), and local zoning/building permits.

The tower structural design shall account for the following anticipated equipment, which is expected to be installed on the tower under a separate, future project. The engineering study and resulting tower design shall provide sufficient structural capacity to accommodate this anticipated loading.

The Proposer shall perform a geotechnical investigation of the Project site sufficient to support foundation design for the new tower, including at a minimum:

1. Test borings at the proposed tower and guy anchor/foundation locations (as applicable) to depths sufficient to characterize subsurface conditions for foundation design.
2. Laboratory analysis of soil samples, including classification, strength, and other parameters required by the structural/foundation engineer.
3. A written geotechnical engineering report, sealed by an Illinois-licensed professional engineer, providing foundation design recommendations (bearing capacity, frost depth, groundwater conditions, and any special construction considerations).
4. Identification of any site conditions (e.g., fill, groundwater, contamination indicators) that may affect construction cost, schedule, or design.

The Contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, equipment, and supervision necessary to construct a new self-supporting radio communications tower and associated site improvements, including but not limited to:

1. Construction of a 180-foot self-supporting radio communications tower (or such height as determined and approved per Section 3.2), in accordance with the approved engineering design and applicable codes.
2. Construction of a reinforced concrete foundation/pad sized and designed per the structural and geotechnical engineering reports.
3. Installation of all support items necessary for tower operation, including but not limited to grounding and lightning protection systems, cable ladders/supports, and safety climb systems.
4. Installation of a security fence enclosure around the tower compound consistent with the approved design.
5. Installation of all required electrical components, including power service, disconnects, lighting (if required by FAA/height), and bonding/grounding in accordance with the National Electrical Code and applicable utility requirements.
6. Construction of an ice bridge connecting the new tower to the existing radio communications equipment shelter, including support posts, cable tray/support system, and weatherproofing.
7. Site restoration, including grading, erosion control, and restoration of any disturbed areas outside the fenced compound.
8. Final testing, inspection, and commissioning documentation, including as-built drawings and manufacturer warranties for the tower structure and major components.

Site Address: 307 W. Center St., Cambridge, IL 61238

Jurisdiction: Henry County, Illinois

Proposers are strongly encouraged to conduct an independent site visit prior to submitting a proposal to verify existing conditions, access, and constructability. Proposers wishing to schedule a site visit should contact Erin Knackstedt, County Administrator, at

All times are local (Central) time. The County reserves the right to modify this schedule and the approval process is pending Henry County Board approval.

1. Sealed Proposals Required. Proposals must be submitted in a sealed envelope or package clearly marked “SEALED PROPOSAL — RADIO COMMUNICATIONS TOWER PROJECT — DO NOT OPEN UNTIL September 11, 2026, 9:00 A.M.”
2. Deadline. Sealed proposals must be received by the Henry County Administrator's Office no later than 9:00 a.m. local time on Friday, September 11, 2026. Proposals received after this deadline — including those delayed in the mail or by a delivery service — will NOT be accepted or reviewed under any circumstances.
3. Delivery Address. Proposals shall be delivered, mailed, or hand-carried to the attention of Erin Knackstedt, County Administrator, Henry County, Illinois. Electronic or emailed proposals will not be accepted in lieu of a sealed submission unless otherwise authorized in writing by the County prior to the deadline.
4. Copies. Proposers shall submit one (1) original (clearly marked “ORIGINAL”) and three (3) copies of their proposal, along with one (1) electronic copy (PDF format on USB drive), unless otherwise directed by written addendum.
5. Questions. All questions regarding this RFP shall be directed in writing to Erin Knackstedt, County Administrator, at For security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address.. The County will issue written addenda for any material clarifications, and such addenda shall become part of this RFP.

At a minimum, each proposal shall include the following sections, tabbed and organized in the order listed:

1. Cover Letter — signed by an individual authorized to bind the firm, identifying the components (Section 3.1–3.4) the Proposer is bidding on.
2. Firm Qualifications and Experience — description of the firm(s), relevant experience with communications tower removal, engineering, geotechnical work, and/or self-supporting tower construction, and resumes of key personnel.
3. References — a minimum of three (3) references from comparable projects completed within the last five (5) years, including contact information.
4. Licensing and Certifications — evidence of applicable Illinois professional engineering licensure, contractor licensing, and any tower-specific certifications (e.g., NATE certification for tower crews, if applicable).
5. Project Approach and Schedule — a narrative description of the proposed approach to each component of the Scope of Work and a proposed project schedule from notice to proceed through final completion.
6. Cost Proposal — an itemized price for each of the four (4) components identified in Section 3 (removal/cleanup, engineering study, soil testing, and tower construction), along with a total proposed price. Costs should be broken out clearly enough for the County to evaluate and, if necessary, award components separately.
7. Insurance and Bonding — evidence of ability to meet the insurance and bonding requirements described in Section 9.
8. Exceptions — a clear statement of any exceptions or deviations the Proposer takes to this RFP's terms, conditions, or specifications.

Proposals will be evaluated by the Henry County Public Safety Committee and Henry County Board based on factors that may include, without limitation:

• Qualifications and relevant experience of the firm(s) and key personnel
• Demonstrated experience with tower removal, engineering design, geotechnical investigation, and/or self-supporting tower construction
• Proposed approach, methodology, and project schedule
• Total cost and value, including itemized component pricing
• References and past performance
• Compliance with the requirements of this RFP

Henry County reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive informalities or minor irregularities in any proposal, to negotiate with any Proposer, to request clarification or additional information from any Proposer, to award all four components to a single Proposer or to award individual components to separate Proposers, and to award the contract(s) in the manner determined to be in the best interest of the County. This RFP does not commit the County to award a contract, to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal, or to procure or contract for the described services or work.

The successful Proposer(s) shall be required to maintain, at a minimum, Commercial General Liability, Automobile Liability, Workers' Compensation, and Professional Liability (for engineering/geotechnical services) insurance in amounts and forms acceptable to the County, and shall name Henry County, Illinois as an additional insured on liability policies applicable to the Work, prior to commencing any work.

For construction components of the Work, the successful Contractor shall be required to furnish Performance and Payment Bonds, each in an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the contract price, in accordance with the Illinois Public Construction Bond Act, as applicable.

This Project is subject to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, 820 ILCS 130/, as applicable. The successful Contractor(s) shall pay not less than the prevailing rate of wages as established by the Illinois Department of Labor for Henry County and shall comply with all associated recordkeeping and certified payroll requirements.

The Contractor shall obtain and pay for all permits, licenses, and regulatory approvals necessary to perform the Work, including any applicable FCC and FAA filings related to the tower height and lighting/marking requirements, and shall comply with all applicable federal, State of Illinois, and Henry County laws, codes, ordinances, and regulations.

The Contractor shall comply with all applicable federal and State of Illinois equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination requirements in the performance of the Work.

All proposals submitted become the property of Henry County and may be subject to disclosure under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/), except for information specifically identified by the Proposer as a trade secret or proprietary and exempt under applicable law.

Any changes, clarifications, or interpretations of this RFP will be issued in writing as a formal addendum to all firms known to have received the RFP. Proposers shall acknowledge receipt of all addenda in their proposal.

Any Contractor(s) selected pursuant to this RFP shall act as an independent contractor and not as an employee or agent of Henry County.

All correspondence, questions, and proposal submissions related to this RFP shall be directed to:

Erin Knackstedt

County Administrator

Henry County, Illinois

Email:

By signing below, the undersigned certifies that they are an authorized representative of the firm named below, that they have read and understand the entirety of this Request for Proposals — including all Sections 1 through 10 and any attachments — and that the accompanying proposal is submitted in accordance with, and agrees to be bound by, all requirements, terms, and conditions set forth herein.

The undersigned firm submits a proposal for the following component(s) of the Project (check all that apply):

• Component 1 — Cleanup and Removal of Fallen Tower
• Component 2 — Engineering Study
• Component 3 — Geotechnical / Soil Testing
• Component 4 — Construction of New Tower and Ancillary Site Work

The undersigned acknowledges receipt of the following addenda (if any) issued in connection with this RFP:

Firm / Company Name

Address

City, State, ZIP

Telephone

Email Address

Illinois Contractor / Professional License No. (if applicable)

Authorized Signature

Printed Name

Title

Date

END OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS