A. Assignment A of this contract pertains to mowing and String Trimming on Village owned grounds. Central business district (CBD) hard surface cleaning is also contained in assignment A. A weekly completion list will be submitted to Village staff. B. All work must be completed within a five (5) day rotation, Monday through Friday and occasional Saturdays, as directed by Village staff. Variations in mowing schedule may be required. Village staff will determine such schedules based on weather conditions. Mowing during drought conditions may be suspended. Mowing during wet periods may be increased to twice per week. Sufficient equipment and personnel must be available to handle the added load. C. Safety shielding and other manufacturer amenities on all equipment must always remain operational and shall meet the standards of the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act and State of Illinois safety codes as may be required by law. Mowing equipment shall always be properly maintained. Mower blades shall be kept sharp. The Village reserves the right to inspect all equipment prior to use. If equipment is deemed unfit for operation the contractor must either replace or make all necessary repairs before next use. D. Leaves must be raked, mulched or removed when approximately one third of them have fallen. This should be completed in accordance with the regular mowing schedule. Areas for leaf removal include fence lines, around buildings, tree rings and plant beds. Leaves can be blown from these areas and mulched with a mower as part of the regular mowing cycle. This process is to be repeated until the contract ends before December 31st. The price for this service is to be included in the price of the regular cuts of the mowing season. E. All litter, downed tree branches (less than 2 inches in diameter) and other debris shall be picked up and removed off site and disposed of properly at contractor’s expense. F. Some mowing locations are located along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad (A11 – Hinsdale Ave). It is the responsibility of the contractor to obtain a temporary occupancy permit and any required training. Additional information can be found at http://www.bnsf.com/communities/faqs/permits‐real‐estate/ Mowing A. Grass at all mowing areas shall be mowed no less than 3” high unless otherwise noted by Village staff. Grass shall be cut when it reaches 4" in height. Care shall be taken to lower the height of cut slowly, so as not to put the turf under any undue stress. No more than 1/3 of the grass blade shall be removed per cutting unless otherwise specified by the Village. B. Do not mow, walk, or use any piece of equipment on turf areas when frost is present as this will result in damage to the plant tissues. C. Do not mow areas that are saturated with water or where standing water is present. A simple test to determine this is to walk over the areas to be mowed. If water “puddles”, delay mowing until excess moisture has drained. If mowing can’t be delayed, the smallest available equipment (within the same class as normally used) shall be used. For example: in wet conditions a 36‐inch mower shall be used in areas normally mowed with 48 – 72‐inch units. D. Grass clippings shall be removed or mowed again where grass clippings are not spread evenly over the area. Bid price shall include disposal when necessary, following all applicable laws and all costs associated therewith. E. Either rotary or reel type mowing equipment is acceptable and must provide an even cut over all maintained areas. Care must be taken when cutting berms. Contractors will be asked to use push mowers if any berm shows signs of scalping. F. Riding mowers shall be equipped with suitable flotation tires to prevent ruts. G. Mowing at each site shall be completed the same day it was started. H. Excess grass on sidewalks, street, paved areas, beds or tree rings will be cleaned off upon completion of mowing operations. String Trim A. All grass shall be neatly trimmed (string trim) around all fixed structures including: buildings, fences, retaining walls, railroad embankments, footpaths, and paved areas at a height consistent with the mowed lawn areas. B. In no way are existing trees, shrubs, flowers or other ornamental plants to be damaged by equipment or other tools while mowing and string trimming around tree trunks. Contractor is responsible for any damage to turf, trees, shrubs, groundcovers, structures, site fixtures and parked vehicles. Damage must be reported to Village staff within twenty‐four (24) hours. Hard Surface Cleaning A. The Contractor is responsible to remove any and all vegetation that protrudes through cracks, curb lines, sidewalks, tree planters, parking lots and edges of all hard surface areas. B. Manual removal of weeds (hand removal/string trimming) is preferred as chemical pesticides will not be used as part of this contract unless otherwise notified. Organic herbicides must be approved by Village staff before use (horticultural vinegar, clove oil calcium chloride, etc.). C. The contractor will work with Village staff to schedule any such cleaning. Weekends or early morning starts may be necessary to ensure vehicular and pedestrian traffic are at a minimum. Permission to operate small engine equipment before 8:00 am must first be granted by the Village Manager
