December 15, 2020
Question: Do you anticipate extending the bid due date?
Response: No.
Question: What additional details are you willing to provide, if any, beyond what is stated in bid documents concerning how you will identify the winning bid?
Response: All information is contained in the bid document.
Question: Was this bid posted to the nationwide free bid notification website at www.mygovwatch.com/free?
Response: No.
Question: Other than your own website, where was this bid posted?
Response: The Lake County New Sun.
Question: Is this bid for location only the storm sewer?
Response: Yes.
Question: Please identify the locations the storm sewer will be at (i.e. – Name of Municipalities, Rural locations, etc.)
Response: Right of Way within Lake County Highways.
Question: Would it be possible to provide an overview utility maps showing the extent of the storm sewer utility?
Response: Yes. The easiest way to access County-wide storm sewer data is via the web map that the current JULIE contractor is using, which can be found here: https://lakecountyil.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=4129e4a048564e4da5e3b4d0eaac2414 . That can be accessed from a desktop computer, or a smartphone or tablet out in the field.
Question: Does Lake County have the storm sewer utility maps in a GIS format?
Response: Yes, please see the above answer.
Question: Are the storm sewer utility maps accurate and up to date?
Response: No, storm sewers on reconstruction projects are updated after completion.
Question: Is this entire system a gravity system?
Response: Yes.
Question: Is this work now being outsourced to a locating vendor?
Response: Yes.
Question: If this work is currently being outsourced, please provided following information:
Question: Name of the locating company?
Response: URG.
Question: Past bid tabulation and or current pricing the incumbent locating vendor is charging?
Response: Bid Tabulation
Question: Copy of existing contract, this may be request via a separate FOIA request.
Response: Please visit our website at: https://www.lakecountypurchasingportal.com/awarded-contracts/
Question: What is the total number of Lift Stations throughout the plant or is this all 100% gravity?
Response: No lift stations are included, it is all gravity.
Question: If there are lift station, there would be forced mains, what is the size of these mains and the composition makeup of these mains (i.e. – Ductile Iron, Cast Iron, HDPE, etc. )
Response: N/A.
Question: Are the forced mains locatable by hand held electronic locating devices? If not, please explain how the mains are being marked today.
Response: N/A
Question: Is most of the storm sewer under the road or is it in the parkway (1.e. gravel or grass, etc.)
Response: Unsure of the breakdown, see GIS map.
Question: Is lake county using a third party ticket management software to auto screen the JULIE locate request tickets or will this be done manually then sent to the locating vendor?
Response: In house software.
Question: If the screening of the JULIE locate request tickets are a manual process, is there anything in the contract that will address the amount of time Lake County has to dispatch all the locate requests to the locate vendor?
Response: See bid document.
Question: In response to question 14, in a manual bases, and without any firm language regarding any time frame that Lake County has to dispatch the locate requests, it then could be expected that any ticket could be received by the vendor minutes before the ticket is due. Is that correct?
Response: No. See specifications number 6 & 7 for response times.
Question: Would Lake County be open to receiving alternative bid to allow the locating vendor to screen the tickets for the county?
Response: No.
Question: In past 5 years, has your incumbent locating vendor ever been billed for miss locating the Lake County Storm Sewer where it was damaged due to a mis locate?
Response: No.
Question: If no damages – What would the average cost of repair be should the storm sewer pipe be damaged?
Response: Depends on location, size, depth etc.
Question: The bid talks about a Contract. Is it to be assumed that the Bid is the contract agreement?
Response: Yes
Question: Bid only addresses 30 day termination convenience rights for Lake County. Will this also be extended to the locating vendor (i.e. 30-60 days)?
Response: This is a standard termination clause. You are welcome to take an exception to this clause and propose alterative termination.
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Addendum #2
December 29, 2020
Question: Lake County identified they will be using a third party ticket management system. Please identify the name of the software, (i.e. Earthnet, Korterra, etc.,)
Response: The software was built in house by our IT staff. It’s called JULIE ticket reader.
Question: How much time will it take for Lake County to screen the ticket and transmit it to the locating vendor?
Response: It could take up to two (2) hours from receipt to communicate to locating company.
Question: Asked before but believe questions was misunderstood. There is no language in the agreement or specifications regarding the amount of time that Lake County MUST have ticket transmitted to the locating vendor so they can have it completed. (i.e. - Lake county has 4 hours after receipt of the JULIE request to transmit request to locating vendor). Pl3ease note that locating vendor must be provided ample amount of time to have the locate completed. Removing this the vendor run the risk of the locate not being completed on time where a damage could arise. Please explain the procedure and time frame Lake County is required to have the JULIE locate requests to the locating vendor?
Response: The county receives the routine JULIE tickets, screens them and sends along the ones for locating. This is done usually within two (2) hours of receipt. Emergency tickets are sent directly to the locating company.
Question: Lake County contract doesn't have a Mutual Termination clause for the Locating Vendor. Is Lake County willing to give the Locating Vendor mutual termination without cause/termination for convenience rights?
Response: Please reference Page 7 of the Bid document #20 Termination Clause. This topic is open for further discussion with the awarded vendor.
Question: The bid pricing doesn't identify Project Pricing in the event the time to locate the Lake County Sewer takes longer than 30 minutes to complete. The locating vendor should be allowed to bill for the additional time on site to cover their added cost in time. Would Lake County be open to allowing the vendor to bill for the added time to locate the Lake County Sewer?
Response: No
Question: In the agreement, will Lake County be willing to limit Contractor’s indemnity to “to the extent and proportion of Contractor’s adjudicated fault or negligence”? Or more clearly defining concurrent fault: “In the event the claim is caused by joint or concurrent negligence of the Contractor and Lake County, the loss or expense shall be borne by each party in proportion to its degree of adjudicated fault or negligence.”
Response: Please reference Page 6 of the Bid document #15 Hold Harmless Clause. This topic is open for further discussion with the awarded vendor.
Question: Will Lake County be willing to limit Contractor’s liability for Lake County’s incorrect or inaccurate mapping?
Response: Please reference Pages 6 and 7 of the Bid document #16 Insurance Clause. Lake County is open to further discuss with the awarded vendor.
Question: Would Lake County consider extending the bid until Tuesday Jan, 12, 2020 (1 Week)? With the holidays and working around vacation times combined with the answers to the questions, Lake County probably won’t have these published until later in the week which doesn’t provide any time to analyze the answers. Please grant the extended time.
Response: No.
Question: Is Lake County willing to change options to extend to mutual consent since the contract is 2 years plus three 1-year options to extend?
Response: Please reference Page 4 of the Bid document #5 Term. This topic is open for further discussion with the awarded vendor.
Question: Is the Quantity for the estimated counts 1 year or two year count? Meaning is the 8,000 tickets a 2 year count? (4,000 per year)?
Response: One (1) year.
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Addendum #3
December 30, 2020
Reference: 21000 Bid Final - Page 2, Bid Item 1
Question: Is 8,000 the number of Routine Tickets annually for the two-year term of the contract?
Response: Estimated 1-year total
Reference: 21000 Bid Final - Page 2, Bid Item 1
Question: Please confirm Routine Tickets must be completed within 48 hours (2 business days) of receipt by contractor.
Response: The routine tickets must be completed within 48 hours, two (2) business days.
Reference: 21000 Bid Final - Page 2, Bid Item 2
Question: Is 400 the number of Emergency Tickets annually for the two-year term of the contract?
Response: Estimated 1-year total
Reference: 21000 Bid Final - Page 2, Bid Item 2
Question: Please confirm the Emergency response time. According to JULIE law, Emergency Tickets require a response within 2 hours. This section (Bid item 2) states 90 minutes which is not in agreement with Julie requirements.
Response: Emergency Tickets response is within a two (2) hours. Thank you for the opportunity to clarify.
Reference: 21000 Bid Final - Page 4, Section 2. Scope of Work
Question: Please provide the following data for calendar years 2018, 2019 and 2020: Total Routine Underground Utility Locate Requests received by LCDOT; Total routine requests dispatched to the locating contractor; Total Emergency Underground Utility Locate Requests received by LCDOT; total Emergency Underground Utility Locate Request sent to the locating contractor.
Response: The County is unable to share this information at this time, but further discussion can be had with the Awarded vendor.
Reference: 21000 Bid Final - Page 5, Section 8. Escalator Provision
Question: Will the County agree to revise this section as follows:
"Prices shall remain fixed for a two (2) year period. If the contract is extended prices shall be adjusted annually to reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, U.S. City Average, for all items, 1982-84=100 (the CPI-U), published by the United States Department of Labor on its website at http://www.bls.gov/cpi. The adjustment will be effective on the first day of the month following the publication of the CPI-U by the United States Department of Labor after each one-year anniversary of the Effective Date."
Response: Prices shall remain firm/fixed for a two (2) year period. Thank you for the opportunity to clarify. A written request for price revisions after the initial one (1) year period shall be submitted sixty (60) days prior to the price increase effective date.
Reference: 21000 Bid Final - Page 6, Section 14. Invoices and Payments
Question: Please provide a link to the Local Government Prompt Payment Act.
Response: State of Illinois Prompt Payment Act 30 ILCS 540/
Reference: 21000 Bid Final - Page 12, Section 6. Response Times - Routine
Question: Please confirm that Routine Tickets must be completed within 48 hours, two business days, as stated on the bid form, not 24 hours as stated in this section.
Response: The routine tickets must be completed within 48 hours, two (2) business days. Thank you for the opportunity to clarify.
Reference: 21000 Bid Final - Page 12, Section 7. Response Times - Emergency
Question: Please confirm the Emergency response time. According to JULIE law, Emergency Tickets require a response within 2 hours. This section states both 90 minutes and 30 minutes, neither of which is in agreement with Julie requirements.
Response: Response: Emergency Tickets response is within a two (2) hours. Thank you for the opportunity to clarify.
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Addendum #4
December 31, 2020 Picture
Click the word Picture to view attached invoices.
Question: Can you provide copies of the last 4 invoices for the current contract?
Response:
Reference form refers to page 9 as “computer equipment” I assume it is a typo; otherwise, please kindly explain. Thanks
Response: Thank you for the opportunity to clarify. Reference Form found on Page 9; List below other similar size clients for who you have provided similar services in the last three years. The County has a strong preference that references provided be for public sector entities of comparable size and complexity.
Question: How will the ticket be sent to the contractor? What software? What format?
Response: Sent through software developed by IT personnel at Lake County DOT. They are sent via text.
Question: How will the after-hours emergencies dispatch to the contractor?
Response: All emergency tickets are sent from JULIE to locating contractor via text.
Question: How will the contractor respond to JULIE to received tickets?
Response: Additional details are needed to address this question.
Question: Will the County provide access to its in-house software?
Response: No