WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE WESTPORT COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT II
Background
The Westport Regional Business League (WRBL) was established by the businesses and property owners in and around the Westport Entertainment District in 2005 for the purpose of enhancing the economic vitality and development of the area. The WRBL is the management and implementation entity charged with administering and overseeing the prescribed programs and improvements desired by the Westport Community Improvement District II (WCID). Providing Maintenance and Beautification Services within the boundaries of the WCID is an identified priority. As such, the WRBL is seeking proposals for the provision of Maintenance and Beautification services.
The Opportunity
The WRBL seeks through this request for proposals process to enter into a sixty (60) month contract with one company/organization to provide the desired services on each day of each week for all 52 weeks each year except for Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The desired services will be provided between the hours of 4:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. each day – plus the additional hours required to service major special events occurring in the District.
Scope of Desired Services
Sidewalk Maintenance
Uniformed personnel will remove litter, debris, leaves, cigarette butts, broken pieces of masonry, rocks, limbs, sticks, urination, defecation, or vomit, and other refuse or foreign objects from sidewalks, gutters, alleys, streets, trash disposal enclosures, walkways, doorways, tree pits, parking lots, parking garages, and driveways within the District.
Trash Dumpster Maintenance and Management
Contractor will manage access to, as well as the appearance of, all commercial dumpster(s) and/or trash compactors leased or owned by the District. This responsibility also includes the removal and disposal of any items left or discarded around or adjacent to the dumpster(s) or trash compactor(s).
Street and Parking Facility Sweeping
At least once each month, all streets, alleys, and parking facilities (i.e., lots and garages) within the District will be swept using a mechanical streetsweeper to remove all debris, trash, dirt, etc. that is on the respective driving or parking areas. Additional mechanical sweeping will occur on the early morning of the day immediately following the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration.
Graffiti Removal
Contractor’s uniformed employees shall be responsible for removing all graffiti quickly from all exterior surfaces within the District by painting, using solvents, or pressure washing. Exterior surfaces are defined as any surface visible to the general public that is no more than 10 feet above the walkway where people walk or driveway where vehicles drive or park and reachable from a sidewalk, alley, street, courtyard, landscaped area, or parking facility. All graffiti tags must be removed within 24 hours of being reported. Graffiti includes but is not limited to: paint, ink, stickers, the gummy backing of stickers and posters, tape, flyers, and chalk. Contractor’s cleaning crew employees will keep a written log of each graffiti tag and exactly how many minutes it took to remove each individual graffiti tag and its exact location. Contractor’s cleaning crew shall also take a photo of each graffiti tag to be eliminated before it is removed while recording the date and time of the photograph and removal. Contractor will be responsible for inventorying, maintaining, and safekeeping the photo log of graffiti tags during the term of the contract and shall promptly transfer any such photographic data to the District when requested.
Sidewalk Pressure Washing
Contractor’s uniformed pressure washing team shall pressure wash all public sidewalks within the District including those leading to and from the parking garage at least three times each year between the period of April 1st and October 31st. At no time shall the Contractor pressure wash District sidewalks when the temperature is at or is forecast to be below 40 degrees for any period during the immediately following 24-hour period. The contractor shall be responsible for scheduling the pressure washing during times when minimal disruption to commerce or sidewalk access will occur as a result of the cleaning process. Each sidewalk pressure washed shall also have all gum removed from the sidewalk area cleaned on the same day as the pressure washing or the day before or the day after the pressure washing. The sidewalk pressure washing shall be done in a manner that removes all the foreign objects and grime while not damaging the sidewalk or adjoining storefront or nearby automobiles or any painted surface or nearby vegetation. In the process of pressure cleaning, care must be exercised to prevent water from getting under the doors or doorframes at the entrances to businesses and buildings. Also, the walls and windows adjacent to the area pressure washed are to be gently rinsed so that all dirt and debris from the pressure washing process is removed. Any damage to the adjoining private surfaces, vehicles, street vegetation, or street furniture will be the sole responsibility of Contractor. At the conclusion of the pressure washing process, all excess water is to be removed from the sidewalk and adjoining area(s). Contractor shall keep, and provide to the District upon request, an annual record of all sidewalk areas cleaned inclusive of adjoining street names, block numbers, the dates of pressure washing, and the dates of gum removal.
Special Calls for Service
One of the expected responsibilities of the Contractor’s employees is responding to special “calls-for-service”. Calls are received frequently for the removal of graffiti, the clean-up of unsanitary messes (i.e., human and/or animal waste), the removal of drug paraphernalia, illegal dumping, and a myriad of other requests related to cleaning or providing order to the public areas within the District. Requests for these services shall be honored by the Contractor during the day in which the request was made as long as the request was received via text, voice, email or in-person communication prior to the end of the last shift (by any personnel of the Maintenance Contractor assigned to the District) on that day.
Trash Collection and Removal
Contractor will remove all trash from all sidewalk trash cans daily and change the liners as necessary to keep the can available to receive more trash and to prevent the attraction of bugs, rodents, or offensive smells coming from the cans. Contractor will wipe down the tops/lids of each trash can daily so that: 1.) all residue, dust, dirt, and/or trash is removed, 2). the surface finish is not damaged or discolored, and 3.) a reflection can be seen on the polished lid. The emptying of sidewalk trashcans will include the daily cleaning and polishing (as necessary) of the lids as well as the reporting of any damage or needed repairs to the trash receptacles and newspaper boxes on the sidewalks or in the parking facilities.
Paper Signs and Handbill Removal
All paper signs and handbills attached to any exterior surface within the district by use of tape, staples, nails, contact cement, or glue shall be removed daily in a way determined by the contractor that does not damage the exterior surface but still removes the sign or handbill and the adhesive material used to attach it.
Special Collections
Contractor will collect stolen or abandoned shopping carts wherever they find them in the District and return the carts to the business that owns the stolen cart. Contractor will also collect and remove any abandoned bulky items (inclusive of tree limbs) in the public areas of the District or WRBL leased or managed areas as quickly as possible after being notified of its existence and needed removal.
Inventory of Needed Maintenance
Twice each year, Contractor will inspect all of the public areas in the district and develop a list with pictures of maintenance needs to the respective public areas. Photographs of the area or element in need of improvement shall be provided to a person designated at the WRBL to receive the reports.
Snow and Ice Removal
Contractor shall begin removal of snow and ice from all the pedestrian crosswalks and handicapped access ramps at each intersection within the District as well as those on Pennsylvania Avenue south of 40th Street no later than three (3) hours after the conclusion of the snow and/or ice event. This task also includes the placement and distribution of deicer and ice/snow preventive chemicals that are environmentally friendly and not damaging to the sidewalk trees. The frequency of application and the appropriateness for use and placement of the deicer and snow-ice preventive product(s) shall be determined by the Contractor. Contractor shall also apply deicer to all pedestrian crosswalks within the district immediately before and/or after a snow event as the Contractor determines to be necessary.
Leaf Removal
Contractor is responsible for raking and removing leaves daily from all sidewalks, gutters, and parking areas within the District.
Cleaning Ash Trays and Cigarette Butt Receptacles
Contractor is responsible for cleaning, emptying, and resetting all ash trays at least once daily. Contractor is also responsible for the timely and proper disposal of all cigarette butts removed from the ash trays or cigarette butt receptacles.
Weed Removal
Remove all weeds from the sidewalks, curbs, tree pits, parking areas, and gutters within the Westport CID and prevent them from coming back as necessary during the months of April through October. At no time shall herbicide or chemical weed killer be applied in a tree pit or adjacent to a tree within the District without prior approval of the District.
Setting Up for Paid Parking
Contractor will be responsible for transporting and staging the necessary grabber cones/deflectors and parade barricades (aka bike racks) for the various paid parking lots and garages each day that a parking facility is being used for paid parking. Contractor will also be responsible for returning the grabber cones/deflectors and parade barricades to the District’s storage facility for such items no later than eight (8) hours after paid parking in each respective facility ended.
Monthly Reporting
Contractor is required to provide a quantifiable monthly report to the District in a format and form acceptable to the District no later than the 5th day of each subsequent month. Each monthly report shall list the numeric totals for each activity or service tracked for the month just completed as well as a running total for each item or service tracked for the year to date.
Weekly Meetings
Contractor and representatives of the District will meet in the District weekly at a time convenient for both to review the experiences of the past week and to discuss upcoming maintenance challenges, needs, or changes.
Special Event Cleaning Services
Uniformed employees of contractors shall provide all necessary services found in this scope of services during all days and all hours of the major special events that occur in the District. At present, major special events are defined as Westport St. Patrick’s Day Celebration (1 day), Art Westport (3 days), and Westport Christmas Market (2 days).
Uniforms
All employees of contractor working in the District must be wearing the entire uniform (pants, shirt, and hat as well as jacket during cooler weather) as approved by the District during all hours of their respective shifts. Only approved complete uniforms shall be worn by employees of the Contractor during the hours that services are being provided within the District. Approved uniforms must be worn in such a way as to present a neat and consistent appearance for all employees of the contractor assigned to the District. No other branded or logoed clothing or headgear may be worn with the approved uniform or in place of it.
Target Area
The target area for the delivery of the desired services is within the boundaries of the Westport CID II in the City of Kansas City, Missouri. A map of the Westport CID II is attached to this RFP.
The Proposal Process
The WRBL will consider proposals from all interested respondents that present adequate written evidence of the items listed below and that otherwise demonstrate significant experience in the successful delivery of maintenance and beautification services to older commercial and/or mixed-use areas. Five (5) copies of a complete response to this RFP must be submitted by no later than 5:00 p.m. central time on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, in order to be considered. Proposals should be delivered in hard copy format no later than the time noted on the due date to the offices of the Westport Regional Business League at 4050 Pennsylvania Avenue – Suite M100, Kansas City, Missouri 64111. Proposals received via facsimile (fax) or electronic mail (email) will not be considered. Responses must contain all of the following items:
- Evidence of significant experience by the proposer in providing maintenance and beautification services of the types desired inclusive of: the beginning and ending dates of each such service previously or currently provided and a short description of the type(s) of services provided to each prior or current client listed.
- The credentials, qualifications, and experience of all key personnel, staff, or subcontractors that will be assigned to the undertaking if the proposal is selected
- A narrative description of how the identified services will be provided by the proposer along with a typical weekly schedule of services that would be envisioned to be delivered during an individual seven-day week in October, January, and June each year inclusive of the number of employees that would be employed by hour each day during the respective weeks to accomplish the desired scope of services.
- All proposals must be signed by a principal of the entity submitting a proposal. Such signature shall be preceded by a statement that the proposer understands the intended services required, the timeline for delivery, and the fact that any contract entered into with the WRBL will be a fixed cost agreement. If an individual doing business under a fictitious name makes a proposal, the proposal should so state and be signed by that individual. If the proposal is from a partnership, the full names and addresses of all members of the partnership must be provided and one principal member should sign the proposal. If a corporation makes the proposal, an authorized officer should sign the proposal in the corporate name with his or her office identified. If a proposal is submitted by a limited liability corporation (LLC), the full names and addresses of ALL members of the LLC shall be given and one authorized member should sign the proposal.
- A detailed line-item annual budget showing all costs for accomplishing all of the items and services identified in the “Scope of Desired Services”. Such costs detail must be inclusive of all schedules for all needed materials, equipment, personnel, insurance, supplies, management, profit, and other support services like accounting. The annual line-item budget must match the annual bid amount for the first year of service.
- Five references listing prior or current clients with adequate knowledge of the proposer’s service delivery experience as well as contact information for a knowledgeable person (regarding the proposer’s services) at each entity listed
- Evidence that the proposer has the following commercial insurance coverages: a) general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000.00 per occurrence and $2,000,000.00 aggregate, b) automobile liability insurance of at least $1,000,000.00 per occurrence and $2,000,000.00 aggregate, and c) workers’ compensation insurance of at least $1,000,000.00.
- The proposer must certify in writing that it is not included in on any federal, state, or local listing of parties excluded from procurement eligibility or debarment.
WRBL is not responsible for any cost or expense that may be incurred by a proposer before the execution of a contract, including costs associated with preparing a proposal or participating in interviews.
The WRBL reserves the right to waive informalities or irregularities in proposals, to accept or reject or amend any or all proposals, to cancel this RFP in part or in its entirety, and to re-advertise for proposals if it is in the best interest of the WRBL and the intended outcome. The WRBL will be the sole judge of what is in its best interest with respect to this RFP. The WRBL reserves the right to request additional information or clarification from any respondent until a contract is offered for the desired services.
The WRBL also reserves the right to award a contract solely on the basis of the initial proposal without interviews or negotiations. Consequently, proposals and offers should be submitted on the most favorable terms possible, from a cost, time, and scope inclusiveness standpoint. If interviews are determined to be needed, such interviews will be scheduled on a day and at a time that is convenient to the majority of the WRBL RFP Review Committee during the week of November 13-17, 2023. Notice of the desire to hold interviews will be communicated to those deemed responsive and adequately experienced at least one week prior to the date and time of the interview.
Incomplete proposals may render the proposal non-responsive.
WRBL will evaluate cost proposals for reasonableness, completeness, and realism as appropriate. Cost proposals will only be evaluated for those proposers that are determined to be sufficiently experienced based on the information submitted as a part of this RFP process. The basis for award of the contract shall be best value after considering the relevant experience and responsiveness of all proposers.
All responses to this RFP, along with any collateral and or supporting documents will become the property of the WRBL.
The WRBL is an equal employment employer and does not discriminate based on race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin, disability, or ethnicity.
Questions related to this solicitation for proposals should be directed to the WRBL Executive Director at 816-531-4370 Ext. 2 during normal business hours each weekday.
