REQUESTS FOR BIDS CITY TOWING CONTRACT (THIS IS NOT AN ORDER) CITY OF GREAT FALLS GREAT FALLS, MONTANA Sealed bids will be received by the City of Great Falls at the office of the City Clerk, #2 Park Drive South, P.O. Box 5021, Great Falls MT 59401 until 3:00 p.m., Friday, May 18, 2012. Bids will then be opened at 3:00 p.m., May 18, 2012 in the Administrative Conference Room 217, located in the Civic Center. BIDDER'S CHECKLIST 1) Mark the lower left corner of your envelope as follows: BID: City Towing Contract OPEN: Friday, May 18, 2012 @ 3:00 p.m. 2) Quote all prices F.O.B., Great Falls, Montana. 3) Complete and return, with your bid, the attached Affidavit of Non-Collusion, signed and notarized. Faxed copies will not be accepted. 4) Enclose a bid security in an amount equal to 10% of the total amount bid, see paragraph 1 of the General Conditions. Faxed copies will not be accepted. GENERAL INFORMATION Specifications are available at the Great Falls Police Department, 112 1st Street South, front counter. Any questions concerning the interpretation of the attached specifications may be directed to Captain Shanks, Great Falls Police Department, P.O. Box 5021, Great Falls MT 59403 or (406)455-8413. Upon opening, all bids meeting the requirements stated herein will be taken under advisement and a recommendation to the City Commission will be prepared by City Staff. The recommendation will be submitted to the City Commission at a regular meeting, and all bidders will be notified upon acceptance of the recommendation. In our continuing effort to insure that our bidding process is competitive, equitable and efficient, we are asking for your help. If you do not plan to submit a bid, please let us know the reason before the opening date. We thank you for your cooperation and for your interest in the City of Great Falls. NO BID WILL BE CONSIDERED UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY AN ORIGINAL COMPLETED, SIGNED AND NOTARIZED AFFIDAVIT OF NON-COLLUSION 1 GENERAL CONDITIONS No bid will be considered unless accompanied by lawful money of the United States, or by a cashier’s check, certified check, bank money order or bank draft, in any case drawn and issued by a federally chartered or state-chartered bank insured by the federal deposit insurance corporation or a bid bond, guaranty bond, or surety bond executed by a surety corporation authorized to do business in the State of Montana. If a financial guaranty bond or surety bond is provided to secure the purchase of indebtedness, the long-term indebtedness of the company executing the financial guaranty bond or surety bond must carry an investment grade rating of one or more nationally recognized independent rating agencies. The money or, in lieu of money the bank instruments or bid bonds, financial guaranty bonds, or surety bonds must be payable directly to the City of Great Falls, Montana, in an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the aggregate of the proposed bid amount which shall constitute compliance with the requirements for bid security all in accordance with Title 18, Chapter 1, Part 2, M.C.A. Bids received after the stipulated closing time will be returned unopened. Only sealed bids will be accepted. The City of Great Falls will not accept faxed bid bonds, or Affidavits of Non-Collusion. The entire bid must be complete upon submission. No bidder may withdraw his bid for a period of thirty (30) days after the date set for opening the bids. The City of Great Falls will award the bid contract to the highest responsible bidder however, the City of Great Falls reserves the right to reject any or all bids, wholly or in part, and to waive informalities or such items deemed not material or substantive to the bid. Bids received after the stipulated closing time will be returned unopened. 2 CONTRACT SPECIFICATIONS CITY TOWING CONTRACT 1. SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED: The Contractor must agree to: a. Remove, impound, transport, or tow to City facilities or storage facilities large enough to accommodate at least twenty (20) automobiles, at a location which is within the jurisdiction of the Great Falls Police Department, Great Falls, Montana. b. Tow and store stolen, abandoned, illegally parked, or other vehicles as directed by police, as a twenty-four (24) hour per day service, in the City of Great Falls, Montana. c. To care for and store all such cars when requested by the Police Department, and to preserve and deliver them to the owners or persons entitled to the possession of them upon payment of towing and storage fees all in accordance with the provisions of the City Ordinances and Montana Motor Vehicle Code. d. The Contractor shall perform said service between 0800 and 1700 hours, Monday through Friday of each week unless an emergency concerning hazardous vehicles or investigations requires immediate response where upon Contractor shall respond upon notice. e. In all cases where the Contractor shall fail to respond to any emergency call for tow trucks within one hour, the City shall have the right to call other parties to perform such services. 2. TERM OF CONTRACT: a. This agreement shall continue in effect for a period of five years, or it can be subject to termination upon (30) days written notice by either party. 3. DUTIES OF THE CONTRACTOR: The Contractor must agree to/that: a. Pay all persons furnishing labor, supplies, equipment, space or material to the Contractor in and about the performance of this contract, these persons to be paid first out of the amount due the Contractor, its agents or assigns. b. All vehicles being held for evidential or investigative reasons by the Police Department must be authorized by the Chief of Police or his designee for release. Other vehicles may be released without formal authorization from the Chief of Police or his designee. 3 3. DUTIES OF THE CONTRACTOR (Continued): c. Establish the identity of the owners with proper automobile titles or proper vehicle registration owner/lien holder or upon special circumstance to a person who has been approved through the Great Falls Police Department. d. Keep safely all impounded cars, accessories and personal property, and to reimburse the City and the owners for loss. An inventory of all personal property shall be made by the Contractor at the time of impoundment. e. Maintain and keep records as required by the Police Department and furnish the City with a monthly report as to vehicles picked up, released and in storage. 4. CHARGES FOR OPERATION: The Contractor must agree to: a. Carry all charges for towing and storage on account until the sale or other proper disposition of such vehicle. In the event that the owner does not reclaim the vehicle prior to sale at the City Police auction, the towing company shall be reimbursed from the proceeds of the sale, except that the reimbursement for any one vehicle may not exceed that amount actually realized from the sale of that vehicle, nor may the total reimbursement for any one vehicle exceed the towing charge plus ninety (90) days storage to registered owner. The salvage rights to any vehicle put up for auction, but which receives no bids, shall belong to the towing company. The aforesaid shall constitute the contractual consideration between the parties. b. Tow City vehicles not exceeding a ton and one-half in gross vehicle weight without further charge of consideration. 5. STORAGE OF IMPOUNDED VEHICLES: The Contractor must agree that: a. Any vehicle directed to be impounded, from the time it is taken into possession by the Contractor and during the time it is impounded, and until it is reclaimed, shall be considered to be in the custody of the law, and no work shall be done on it by the Contractor, nor shall he permit anyone to do any work on it until the car has been reclaimed. b. All cars when ordered released by the Police Department shall be released to the owner without other charge than the impounding and storage fees. c. During the time the vehicle is impounded the Contractor, shall not permit the owner or any other person to take or remove from the vehicle, any possessions or parts contained in the vehicle, or change or repair any parts. 4 5. STORAGE OF IMPOUNDED VEHICLES (Continued): d. All vehicles which have been involved in criminal proceedings, and which are designated by the Police Department as being held for that reason, shall be held and stored, when applicable, in inside storage (cold or heated). e. Reasonable storage and towing fees will be assessed to the owner when said vehicle is impounded as evidence, or for, investigative purposes. f. If the vehicle is seized for the purpose of searching the car and the search of the car does not uncover the fruits of the crime then towing and storage shall not be assessed to the owner. g. If a vehicle is towed to the police station for evidence gathering, the owner will not be assessed towing fees. However, if the vehicle is then towed and stored by Contractor, reasonable towing and storage fees will be assessed. h. If the County Attorney requests a vehicle held for storage or judicial process, the Contractor shall provide space for a minimum of ten (10) automobiles, without accumulating storage fees, a flat rate will be negotiated between the Contractor and Police Department for each space. The responsibility of tow and storage fee will be identified. The Contractor and Police Department will monitor the number of automobiles being held for judicial process.