Specifications include, but are not limited to: A. In General – The Maintenance Contractor (Contractor) must keep all turf, trees and landscaped areas alive, in average health and maintained per the guidelines set forth in the following paragraphs. Contractor must keep every area of the irrigation system operational and functioning to its fullest potential. The Contractor must keep all areas free of weeds, trash and road debris. The Contractor agrees to perform these services year-round. Areas where the contractor is responsible for all aspects of maintenance as set forth below are outlined in blue on the Limits of Maintenance map. In addition to the blue outlined areas are areas where the Contractor is responsible for irrigation system repairs only. These are indicated by purple outlined areas on the Limits of Maintenance map. B. Mowing - The Contractor must keep all turf areas mowed and trimmed. Contractor shall mow all turf areas at weekly intervals and not less than 28 times annually. Contractor shall use equipment in good working order and shall exercise proper mowing speeds and practices. In general, the grass shall be mowed when it exceeds 5 inches in height and shall be mowed to a height of 3 to 3 1/2 inches. All mowing shall be done using turf-type mowers. Machines will be equipped with small trash bags to consolidate and transport incidental trash. All kick-out doors of the mowers shall face away from landscape beds and streets. For instances where either is unavoidable a “chute blocker” must be incorporated. Steps will be taken to minimize grass clippings from being deposited on streets and concrete. All areas that cannot be mowed by mechanical mowers shall be trimmed by hand leaving the areas in a neat and well-kept condition. Some areas will require the use of smaller mowers that are walk behind in order to navigate tight areas, traverse wet areas, or avoid scalping. Areas to be mowed are best seen in Exhibit A. C. Edging - Contractor shall edge around trees, shrubs and groundcover as often as needed to maintain a neat appearance. Hand trimmed areas may include but are not limited to grass around or along sign poles, barricade posts, street or traffic light bases, guard rails, rock landscaped areas, planted areas, trees, retaining walls and fence lines. All street curbs, mow strips, hard surface median areas and sidewalks shall be kept vegetation free. Chemical trimming may be used at the contractor’s discretion. (see below) D. Chemical Applications - (in general) - The application of all chemicals will be by a Certified Applicator registered in the State of Nebraska. The contractor will furnish to the City at the time of the bid the name of the Certified Applicator, the registration card number, and certification expiration date. Contractor shall insure that all applications of chemicals and fertilizers shall be made in a timely manner and under appropriate supervision. The City must approve all herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers used by the Contractor. The contractor will notify the contract manager (CM) in writing, of any requests to deviate from the approved list. The City reserves the right to change chemical products prior to future extensions of the contract. If this option is exercised and before the extension is offered, an agreement on price will be made between the Contractor and the City through the CM and the agreement will be added to the contract. All liquid chemical products shall be applied in a manner to minimize mist/drift. Precautions must be taken not to damage trees and shrubs. Contractor shall be responsible for replacement of any trees or shrubs damaged or killed by weed control products. Replacement shall be with a similar size & species. The Contractor shall mix and apply any/all chemicals at the rate recommended by the manufacturer and consistent with the label. Contractor shall vary application rates within limits as appropriate for field and weather conditions at the time of application. Granular chemical applications to turf shall be uniform throughout the coverage area. The Contractor shall utilize a boom or hose & reel mounted on a truck or trailer in order to minimize inconsistency in mixtures and to provide consistent coverage. Under no circumstances shall any chemical be applied at a rate or in a manner that is below the rates recommended by the manufacturer. Any areas missed or any areas not presenting satisfactory results will be promptly re-sprayed. Chemical trimming: A maximum six (6) inch wide band of Roundup or Surflan or approved equal may be applied around or along areas where hand-trimming would take place. A non-selective herbicide containing Glyphosate will be the only approved herbicide for chemical trimming. E. Landscaping – The Contractor must keep all trees, shrubs and perennials alive and healthy. Cultivation and weeding of all planting areas, perennial and shrub beds, planted islands and other non-turf areas within the “Limits of Maintenance” is to be performed on a twice monthly basis during the active growing season, from April 15 to September 30th. Perennial grasses will only be cut back in the spring in order to retain winter interest in the landscape. Weeding shall mean the complete removal and disposal of any plant of any size which is not specifically intended to be in the landscape bed. Herbicides may be used to control weed growth within established planting areas provided the chemical is applied by an experienced gardener. The preservation of desirable plants will always be paramount. If desirable plants are at risk of chemical burn then hand weeding must be employed. Pre-emergent may be applied to landscape beds at the Contractors discretion (See paragraph F below). The Contractor shall ensure adequate watering of landscaped areas; at a minimum, one (1) inch of water weekly during hot summer weather in the months of July and August with three (3) applications per week.