RFSB No. 227012 - Snow Removal for Kennebec River Rail Trail

City of Augusta
Invitation to Bid
Bid # 227012
REQUEST FOR SEALED BIDS
For
Snow Removal for Kennebec River Rail Trail
RFSB Release Date:
September 21, 2026
Proposal Submittal Deadline
October 21, 2026 at 2pm
Questions with regard to submissions, process, or proposals
can be emailed to:
Director of Community Services, Earl Kingsbury
Earl Kingsbury@augustamaine.gov
City of Augusta * 16 Cony Street* Augusta, Maine 04330 * (207) 626-2300 * www.augustamaine.gov

REQUEST FOR SEALED BIDS
For
Snow Removal for Kennebec River Rail Trail
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Augusta ("City") is issuing this Request for
Sealed Bids ("RFSB") for preparation of
"Snow Removal for Kennebec River Rail Trail"
Contractors are solely responsible for ensuring proposals are received by the City on or before the
submittal deadline. Proposals must be received no later than Wednesday, October 21st, 2026 at
2pm at the following address:
City of Augusta
Development Services Office
1st floor
16 Cony Street
Augusta, Me 04330
An original copy must be signed by a representative authorized to bind the company. Proposals
submitted by facsimile or email are not acceptable and will not be considered. The original signed
proposal shall be submitted in sealed package with the name of the Contractor and RFSB
#227012 "Snow Removal for Kennebec River Rail Trail" clearly marked on the outside of the
package.
Failure to comply with the requirements set forth in this RFSB may result in disqualification.
Proposals and/or modifications received subsequent to the hour and date specified above will not be
considered. Submitted proposals may be withdrawn at any time prior to the submission time
specified in this RFSB, provided notification is received in writing before the submittal deadline.
Proposals cannot be changed or withdrawn after the submittal deadline. No handwritten notations or
corrections will be allowed. The responding Contractor is solely responsible for all costs related to
the preparation of the proposal.
The City reserves the right to reject all proposals and to waive any minor informalities or
irregularities contained in any proposal. Acceptance of any proposal submitted pursuant to this RFSB
shall not constitute any implied intent to enter into a contract.
The contract award, if any, will be made to the Contractor who, in the City's sole discretion, is best
able to perform the required services in a manner most beneficial to the City.
The RFSB is available on the City of Augusta website. (www.augustamaine.gov)
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This RFSB includes the following documents and information:
1. Invitation to Bid - Request for Sealed Bid
2. Introduction to the City of Augusta
3. Scope of Services
4. Project Schedule
5. RFSB Submission Instructions
6. Special Conditions
7. Attachment 1 - Professional Services Agreement
8. Attachment 2 - Proposal Form
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Introduction
The City is accepting Proposals for a qualified Contractor to conduct services associated with "Snow
Removal for Kennebec River Rail Trail." The scope of services and the general conditions thereof are
included in this document.
The RFSB is intended to provide a common and uniform set of instructions to guide proposers through
the development of proposals.
There is no expressed or implied obligation for the City of Augusta to reimburse responding firms for
any expenses incurred in preparing proposals in response to this request. Materials submitted by
respondents are subject to public inspection under the Maine Freedom of Access Act.
During the evaluation process, the City of Augusta reserves the right, where it may serve the
City's best interest, to request additional information or clarification from proposers, or to allow
corrections of errors or omissions. At the discretion of the City of Augusta, firms submitting
proposals may be requested to make oral presentations as part of the evaluation process.
The City reserves the right to retain all proposals submitted and to use any idea(s) in a proposal
regardless of whether that proposal is selected. Submission of a proposal indicates acceptance by the
firm of the conditions contained in the request for sealed bids, unless clearly and specifically noted
in the proposal submitted and confirmed in the contract between the City of Augusta and the firm
selected.
It is anticipated the selection of a firm will be completed within two (2) weeks of the submittal of
proposals. Following the notification of the selected firm, a recommendation and proposed
contract will be prepared for review and approval by the City Manager. The City reserves the right
to reject any or all proposals, to waive any non-material irregularities or information in any proposal,
and to accept or reject any items or combination of items.
Proposals must be responsive to City's request. The City shall determine the most responsive and
qualified Contractor providing the best service at the most reasonable cost. Cost alone shall not be
the determinative factor.
The request for sealed bids does not obligate the City to award a contract or complete the project and
the City reserves the right to cancel the solicitation if deemed in its best interest.
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Background
The City of Augusta is the capital of Maine and is located approximately 60 miles north of Portland
and approximately 75 miles south of Bangor. It has a population of approximately 18,000 that more
than doubles in population 5 days per week, with visitors that work, shop, and conduct business in the
city.
Site Visit
There is no planned pre-bid meeting associated with this bid. Contractors are encouraged to contact
the contact person for a schedule site visit. Questions regarding the work specifications may be
directed to Director of Community Services, Earl Kingsbury , 207-626-2365,
earl.kingsbury@augustamaine.gov
Scope of Services
Overview
Point of Contact
* Point of Contact will be with Earl Kingsbury, Community Services Director tel. # 207-626-
2305, email earl.kingsbury@augustamaine.gov
Site Inspection
* Contractors / vendors shall familiarize themselves with the Kennebec River Rail Trail to
develop / determine a snow removal plan prior to submitting a proposal.
Snow Removal Bid Requirements
Proposal / Base Bid:
* When submitting a proposal the vendor / contractor will take into account the following: The
Augusta to Gardiner distance is 6.10 miles this includes the Capital connector all entrances
and the two parking pods in Farmingdale; however, this does not include the walks plowed by
the City of Hallowell.
* The Board of Supervisors reserves the right to accept or reject this alternate proposal for a three
year period after reviewing vendor's performance in the 2026-2027 contract years.
Snow Removal General Conditions / Specifications
* Equipment Requirements, the KRRT shall be snow blown and not plowed, maximum equipment
height cannot exceed 9'- 4" and maximum equipment width cannot exceed 6'- 0"
* Track equipment may be used provided the tracks are of a rubber material. If wheel equipment
is used the use of chains is prohibited. Equipment must have flashing strobe lighting, be
properly placarded, have lighting, heated cabs and back-up alarms.
* There are no sanding or salting requirements in this bid; however, snow must be removed to
the blacktop and the full width of the trail will be cleared of snow.
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* Snow removal shall be completed within 36 hours after snow has stopped falling. Snow need
not be removed if 2 or less inches of snow have fallen and the decision will be at the
contractor's discretion.
* Vendor / Contractor must be available to provide snow-blowing from November 13, 2026
through April 15, 2027 and for the next two years.
* Vendor / Contractor shall maintain the trail in a passable condition for walkers, not necessarily
for bicyclists. The trail shall be maintained to the satisfaction of the Board of Supervisors.
* Equipment operators must have a valid driver's license for the class of vehicle operated and
must be trained in the operation on snow removal equipment.
* Fencing: The equipment operator MUST avoid damaging the fence. The contractor is
responsible for any damage caused by the contractor. Any damage to the fence or any other
portion of the trail shall be immediately reported to Earl Kingsbury.
Deliverables
Not Applicable
Project Schedule
The City will not give verbal answers to clarifications regarding information in this RFSB, or verbal
instructions prior to the submission deadline. All clarifications shall be submitted in writing. A
verbal statement regarding same by any person shall be non-binding. The City is not liable for any
increased costs resulting from the Contractor accepting verbal directions.
Below is a desired schedule for initiation of this project; however dates may be subject to change and
adjusted as necessary.
RFSB Issued September 21, 2026
Questions submitted by October 7, 2026
Proposal Submittal Deadline October 21, 2026
Contract award (no later than) November 1, 2026
Inquiries concerning the subject of the Request for Sealed Bids shall be made to:
Earl Kingsbury
Directory of Community Services
Earl Kingsbury@augustamaine.gov
Submission of Proposal
Proposals submitted by facsimile or email are not acceptable and will not be considered. The
original signed proposal shall be submitted in sealed package with the name of the Contractor, "Snow
Removal for Kennebec River Rail Trail" and bid number clearly marked on the outside of the
package. The provided proposal form (Attachment 2) shall be used to provide costs associated with the
work being requested.
The Proposal shall be received by the City of Augusta by 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday October 21,
2026 for a proposal to be considered. The Proposal should be addressed as follows:
City of Augusta
Development Services Office
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1st floor
16 Cony Street
Augusta, Me 04330
All interested parties are encouraged to submit proposals to the RFSB, as the award is not based solely
on the lowest cost proposal submitted. Total cost will be taken into consideration, but the
Contractor's capabilities, competence and capacity will be considered as well. The City reserves the
right to choose the best contractor overall according to the City's criteria. The City, and its
designated representatives, shall be the sole judge of its own best interest, the proposal, and
the resulting negotiated agreement. The City's decisions will be final.
The above factors, along with other factors that the City may deem appropriate, will be used to
identify the proposal that represents the best value, which will be the basis for the contract award.
The decision of whether to award a contract and selection of a Contractor will be in the sole
discretion of the City Council.
Criteria for Selection
Proposals will be reviewed by City staff and evaluated to determine which proposals best meet the
criteria of the RFP. Evaluation of the proposals by staff is expected to be completed within thirty
(30) days following the proposal submittal deadline. The final selection will be based on
completeness, comparable experience, technical merit, and time to perform project.
The City reserves the right, without qualification, to:
1. Reject all proposals.
2. Exercise discretion and apply its judgment with respect to any proposal submitted.
3. Select proposals which qualify on the following factors with a maximum scoring potential for
each factor as shown, for a maximum potential score of 100 points:
A recommendation for consultant selection will be made to the City Manager based on Staff's "best
value" evaluation of the proposals/qualifications, which will take into account the consultant's
team's qualifications, comparable experience, availability to undertake the project, complete the
tasks timely, deliver a high-quality work product, and the ability to comply with the City's standard
professional services agreement.
Special Conditions
Contract and Insurance Requirements
The selected Contractor shall be required to enter into a city-prepared Professional Services
Agreement approved by the City Manager. Contractors shall be prepared to accept the terms and
conditions of the City's Standard Professional Services Agreement including all Insurance
Requirements. The successful Contractors bid and the terms and conditions stated in this RFSB will
be made part of the contract between the City of Augusta and the Contractor. This RFSB outlines
the specifications and requirements, but not necessarily all of the terms and conditions that will be
incorporated into the final agreement between the City of Augusta and the successful Contractor.
* General Liability. Contractor shall maintain commercial general liability insurance in an
amount not less than one million dollars ($1,000,000) per occurrence, two million dollars
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($2,000,000) general aggregate, for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage,
including without limitation, blanket contractual liability. Contractor's general liability
policies shall be primary and non-contributory to provide that City and its officers, officials,
employees, and agents shall be additional insureds under such policies.
* Workers' Compensation. Contractor shall maintain Workers' Compensation Insurance
(Statutory Limits) and Employer's Liability Insurance with limits of at least one million
dollars ($1,000,000). Contractor shall submit to City, along with the certificate of insurance,
a Waiver of Subrogation endorsement in favor of City, its officers, agents, employees, and
volunteers.
* Auto Liability. Contractor shall provide auto liability coverage for owned, non-owned, and
hired autos with a limit of no less than one million dollars ($1,000,000) per accident. If
Contractor owns no vehicles, this requirement may be met through a non-owned auto
endorsement to the CGL policy.
Reservations.
This RFSB does not commit the City to award a contract, to defray any costs incurred in the
preparation of a proposal pursuant to this RFSB, or to procure or contract for work. No payment of
any kind will be provided to the Contractor responding to this RFSB, or parties they represent, for
obtaining any of the information solicited.
Public Records.
All proposals submitted in response to this RFSB become the property of the City. Information in the
proposal, unless specified as trade protected, may be subject to public review. Any information
contained in the proposal that is proprietary must be clearly designated. Marking the entire proposal
as proprietary will be neither accepted nor honored. Proprietary information submitted in response
to this RFSB will be handled in accordance with the Maine Freedom of Access Act.
Right to Cancel and Amend.
The City reserves the right to cancel, for any or no reason, in part or in its entirety, this RFSB,
including but not limited to: selection schedule, submittal date, and submittal requirements. If the
City cancels or revises the RFSB, all Contractors will be notified in writing.
Additional Information.
The City reserves the right to request additional information and/or clarification from any or all
Contractors.
Conflict of Interest.
Contractor covenants that the company, its officers, employees and/or agents presently have no
interest, and shall not acquire any interest, direct or indirect, financial or otherwise, which would
conflict in any manner or degree with the performance of the services requested herein by the City.
Contractor further covenants that, in the performance of any contract or agreement resulting from
this RFSB, no subcontractor or person having such an interest shall be employed. Contractor certifies
that to the best of Contractor's knowledge, no one who has or will have any financial interest under
any contract or agreement resulting from this RFSB is an officer or employee of the City.
Release of Public Information.
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Contractors who respond to this RFSB who wish to release information to the public regarding
selection, contract award or data provided by the City must receive prior written approval from the
City before disclosing such information to the public.
Non-Assignment.
If a contract is awarded, the selected Contractor shall neither assign, nor delegate, in part or in
whole, any duties without the prior written consent of the City which shall not be unreasonably
withheld.
Collusion.
Each Contractor certifies that the company, its officers, employees and/or agents are not a party to
any collusive action, fraud, or any action that may be in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. The
Contractor certifies that the company, its officers, employees and/or agents have not offered or
received any kickbacks or inducements from any other bidding Contractor, supplier, manufacturer,
or subcontractor in connection with the proposal and that the company, its officers, employees
and/or agents have not conferred on any public employee having official responsibility for this
procurement transaction any payment, loan, subscription, advance, deposit of money, services, or
anything of more than nominal value. Any or all bids shall be rejected if there is any reason to
believe collusion exists among the bidding Contractors. More than one bid from an individual, firm,
partnership, corporation, or association under the same or different names may be rejected.
Reasonable grounds for believing that a bidding Contractor has interest in more than one proposal
for the work being proposed may result in rejection of all bids in which the bidding Contractor is
believed to have interest.
Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance.
The selected Contractor shall not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment
because of race, creed, color, or national origin. The Contractor shall take affirmative action to
ensure that all employees and applicants for employment shall be treated with equality in all aspects
of employment processes including, but not limited to, hiring, transfer, promotion, training,
compensation and termination, regardless of their race, creed, color, sex, national origin, age, or
physical handicap.
Right to Audit
The selected Contractor shall maintain such financial records and other records as may be prescribed
by the City or by applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations. The selected Contractor
shall retain these records for a period of three years after final payment, or until they are audited by
the City, whichever event occurs first. These records shall be made available during the term of the
contract or service agreement and the subsequent three-year period for examination, transcription,
and audit by the City or its designees.
Payments
Upon receipt of the vendor / contractor's invoice(s), KRRT will make five equal payments, set at 20%
of the contract bid price. The payment schedule for invoices shall be December 30, 2026; January 31,
2027; February 28, 2027; March 31, 2027; April 30, 2027, and the same schedule for years two and
three. All invoices shall be mailed to the attention of KRRT c/o Accounts Payable, 16 Cony Street,
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Augusta, Maine 04330-5298. Or E-Mail invoice to Earl Kingsbury at E-Mail:
earl.kingsbury@augustamaine.gov
Preparation of Bid Proposal
No oral interpretation will be given to any vendor / contractor. Request for interpretations shall be
made in writing to Earl.kingsbury@augustamaine.gov a minimum of five days prior to the bid
opening.
When interpretations are made they will be in a form of an addendum to the specifications and will be
sent to all persons to whom bid documents have been issued. Addendums shall become part of the bid
documents.
Proposal Submission
All proposals shall be submitted on vendor /contractor letterhead and identified as proposal for Snow
Removal KRRT and mailed to the KRRT C/O Renee St. Jean, Development Services Department,
City Center Plaza, 16 Cony Street, Augusta Maine 04330-5298.
All proposals must be received by October 21 at 2:00 pm. Proposals are to be opened and no proposal
received thereafter will be considered.
Proposals may be delivered in person but MUST be received before 2:00pm on October 21, 2026
The city will not accept email or electronic bids.
Contract Award
If a contract is awarded The KRRT Board of Supervisors will award to a responsible and qualified
vendor / contractor on the basis of the Proposal submitted and or most qualified selected alternative
proposal. Please note qualifications and references will be used in determining contract award.
Proposal Submittals
Submittals on equipment used will be required at time of submission, include make, model number,
dimensions and vehicle weight.
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