ITB 2027-02 – RETENTION POND GROUNDS MAINTENANCE - Ponds 1, 2 & 3

SCOPE OF WORK - RETENTION POND GROUNDS MAINTENANCE - Ponds 1, 2 & 3

Contract Period: March 1 through November 30
Contractor: ______________________________
Contract Amount: _________________________
Effective Date: ___________________________

1. PURPOSE

The Contractor shall provide mowing, vegetation trimming, fence-line trimming, and related grounds-maintenance services for the three retention ponds maintained by Lakes of Carrington Homeowners Association, Inc. The intent of this Scope of Work is to ensure that the retention pond areas remain accessible, maintained, and free from excessive grass, weeds, and small brush throughout the growing season. The Contractor shall provide all labor, supervision, equipment, tools, fuel, transportation, and other resources necessary to perform the required work.

2. AREAS INCLUDED

This contract includes grounds maintenance for:

• Pond 1, 2, & 3
• Pond slopes and banks.
• Accessible HOA-maintained areas surrounding the ponds.
• Fence lines associated with the ponds.
• Vegetated areas extending to the normal water's edge.

3. MONTHLY MOWING

Each pond shall receive a complete mowing at least once per month from March through November. The regularly scheduled monthly mowing shall be completed within the first two (2) weeks of each month. The first monthly mowing shall also allow the Association to evaluate growth conditions and determine whether an additional mowing is necessary during that month. An additional mowing shall not automatically be considered part of the base monthly service unless specifically included in the Contractor's bid or subsequently authorized by the Association. Contractors should therefore identify the proposed price for an additional complete pond mowing separately in their bid.

4. WATER'S-EDGE REQUIREMENT

Grass and small vegetative growth on the pond slopes shall be cut down to the water's edge.

This requirement is a material part of the Scope of Work. The Contractor shall use equipment appropriate for the terrain and conditions surrounding the retention ponds. The Contractor is responsible for determining, before accepting the contract, whether its equipment is capable of safely reaching and maintaining the pond banks and vegetation extending to the water's edge.

Areas shall not be routinely left uncut solely because they cannot be reached with a conventional riding mower.

Where necessary, the Contractor shall utilize appropriate alternative equipment, which may include walk-behind equipment, string trimmers, brush-cutting equipment, slope-capable mowing equipment, or other suitable machinery. The Contractor shall not be required to enter standing water with equipment or perform work under conditions that would create an unreasonable immediate safety hazard. However, equipment limitations that were foreseeable when bidding the work shall not constitute justification for routinely leaving required areas unmaintained.

5. GRASS, WEEDS & SMALL BRUSH

The Contractor shall cut grass, weeds, and small vegetative growth that can be maintained using ordinary commercial grounds-maintenance or brush-cutting equipment. Small bushes, volunteer growth, and similar vegetation occurring within the routinely maintained pond areas shall be cut when they can be addressed during mowing or trimming operations.

Removal of established trees, large wood vegetation, major brush clearing, stump removal, or land-clearing operations is not included unless separately authorized by the Association.

6. FENCE-LINE TRIMMING

Fence lines associated with all three ponds shall receive complete vegetation trimming three (3) times during the contract period.

Required fence-line trimming shall occur during:

• May
• July
• September

Fence-line trimming shall remove or cut grass, weeds, vines, and small vegetative growth immediately along and beneath accessible portions of the fence line. The Contractor shall take reasonable precautions to avoid damaging fences while using string trimmers, brush cutters, mowers, or other equipment.

7. MONTHLY CONDITION ASSESSMENT

Following the first mowing of each month, the Contractor and/or Association may evaluate vegetation growth and pond conditions. If growth conditions indicate that an additional mowing would be beneficial before the following month's scheduled mowing, the Contractor shall notify the Association or provide the Association with the option of authorizing an additional mowing.

No additional chargeable mowing shall be performed without Association authorization.

8. OBSTRUCTIONS OR ACCESS PROBLEMS

The Contractor shall promptly notify the Association of any condition preventing completion of the required work, including:

• Blocked access.
• Fallen trees.
• Large debris.
• Unsafe slope conditions.
• Conditions that may damage commercial mowing equipment.

Notification should include the location and nature of the problem. Photographs should be provided when reasonably practicable. The existence of an obstruction in one portion of a pond area shall not excuse completion of accessible portions of the scheduled work.

9. DEBRIS AND DISCHARGE INTO PONDS

The Contractor shall take reasonable measures to prevent grass clippings, cut brush, trash, and other Contractor-generated debris from being intentionally discharged into the retention ponds. Large accumulations of cut vegetation shall not be left where they are likely to obstruct drainage or wash into the ponds.

10. DAMAGE AND PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS

The Contractor shall exercise reasonable care while operating equipment around fences, drainage structures, signs, utilities, easements, pond structures, neighboring property, and other improvements. The Contractor shall not be responsible for damage resulting from normal wear and tear, age, deterioration, pre-existing damage, or visible rot to fences or other improvements located adjacent to or within the areas being maintained. Maintenance, repair, and replacement of homeowner-owned fences due to age, deterioration, rot, weathering, or normal wear and tear shall remain the responsibility of the applicable homeowner. The Contractor shall use reasonable care when working near fences that exhibit visible deterioration, rot, instability, or other pre-existing conditions. If a fence appears sufficiently deteriorated that normal mowing or trimming activities could cause it to fail, the Contractor shall notify the Association of the condition.

The Contractor shall be responsible for damage to fences, HOA property, neighboring property, or other improvements when such damage is directly caused by the Contractor's personnel, negligence, or equipment, including, but not limited to, striking, breaking, cutting, crushing, or otherwise damaging property through the operation of mowers, trimmers, vehicles, or other equipment. The Contractor shall not be held responsible for the failure or collapse of a fence or other improvement when the failure results from a documented or reasonably observable pre-existing condition and was not caused by the Contractor's negligent operation of equipment.

Any property damage caused by the Contractor's personnel or equipment shall be promptly reported to the Association.

11. EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENT

By submitting a bid or accepting this contract, the Contractor represents that it has inspected, or has had an opportunity to inspect, the three pond areas and understands the terrain and maintenance requirements. The Contractor further represents that it possesses, or will provide, equipment capable of completing the Scope of Work, including the requirement to maintain vegetation to the water's edge. The Association should not incur additional charges because the Contractor's standard mowing equipment is incapable of accessing areas that were visible and identifiable when the Contractor inspected the property and submitted its bid.

12. SERVICE DOCUMENTATION

The Contractor shall maintain a basic service record showing:

• Date each pond was serviced.
• Ponds serviced.
• Date of fence-line trimming.
• Any additional mowing authorized by the Association.
• Access problems or unsafe conditions encountered.
• Significant maintenance concerns observed.

13. ADDITIONAL SERVICES

Work outside this Scope of Work, including major brush removal, tree removal, erosion repair, drainage repair, excavation, or other specialized work, shall require separate authorization from the Association.

The Contractor shall not perform additional chargeable work without prior approval from an authorized Association representative.

14. CONTRACT TERM

The seasonal maintenance period shall run from March 1 through November 30.

Unless separately authorized, no regularly scheduled mowing services are required under this Scope of Work during December, January, or February.

15. CONTRACTOR ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The Contractor acknowledges that the water's-edge mowing requirement, pond slopes, fenceline trimming requirements, and seasonal schedule are material requirements of this Scope of Work.

By signing below, the Contractor confirms that it has the personnel, equipment, and ability necessary to complete the required services.

 

 

Lakes of Carrington Homeowners Association, Inc.

Authorized Representative: ______________________________

Title: _________________________________________________

Signature: _____________________________________________

Date: __________________________________________________

Contractor

Company: ______________________________________________

Authorized Representative: ______________________________

Signature: _____________________________________________

Date: __________________________________________________