Fiber-to-the-Home Broadband Network Construction: Whidbey Island

Fiber-to-the-Home Broadband Network Construction: Whidbey Island ‘Request for Bids’ Notice Request for Bids #2023-001 OPENING: May 15, 2023 at 8:00 AM PDT CLOSING: June 22nd, 2023 at 10:00 AM PDT LOCATION: 1651 Main St. Freeland, WA 98249-9677 All bids must be sealed and delivered in-person. Bids will be opened and read publicly in the conference room located at 1651 Main St. Feeland, WA 98249-9677 at 10AM PDT on June 22nd, 2023. Notice is hereby given that BIDS will be received by Whidbey Telecom, on behalf of the Washington State Broadband Office and the Washington Independent Telecommunications Association, for: Fiber-to-the-Home Broadband Network: Whidbey Island: Bayview 8, Goss Ridge, Pioneer Park Additional project details and bid documents can be requested by e-mailing your name, company name, e-mail address, and phone number to contracts@whidbeytel.com. A signed NDA will be required. Whidbey Telecom, of South

Whidbey, Washington is seeking bid proposals from qualified licensed professionals, licensed and certified by the State of Washington and the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries to perform construction services for a fiber-to-the-home “FTTH” project that consists of four project areas throughout Whidbey Island. This project is partially funded by federal award number SLRFP0002(ARPA SLFRF) awarded to Washington State Broad Band Office by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. As such, Whidbey Telecom is facilitating the project on behalf of the Washington Independent Telecommunications Association (WITA) to construct a FTTH network to three areas throughout Whidbey Island: Bayview 8, Goss Ridge, and Pioneer Park. The goal of this project is to construct a total of 32.74 miles of fiber optic network in Whidbey Island to provide service to approximately 344 residences, businesses, and anchor institutions. The project as described in this Request for Bids requires the construction of a FTTH network to homes and businesses within the project scope. Project construction will consist of approximately 6.82 miles of trench fiber optic and 7.5 miles of pushed(blown)/pulled fiber optic (14.32 total distribution fiber miles) to provide 83 last mile connections in Bayview 8, 6.99 miles of trench fiber optic and 7.68 miles of pushed(blown)/pulled fiber optic (14.67 total distribution fiber miles) to provide 136 last mile connections in Goss Ridge, and 1.75 miles of trench fiber optic and 2 miles of pushed(blown)/pulled fiber optic (3.75 total distribution fiber miles) to provide 125 last mile connections in Pioneer Park. Buried fiber (through pre-disturbed ground) will be the primary method of construction and distribution fiber miles include trench fiber optic miles and pushed (blown)/pulled fiber optic miles. The scope of work as represented within this Request for Bids must be constructed, spliced, tested and available to provide broadband service by dates pre-determined for each project by Whidbey Telecom, Washington State Broadband Office, and WITA (Bayview 8, Goss Ridge, Pioneer Park in 2023). Whidbey Telecom will supply all of the FTTH project-specific materials and equipment necessary for the construction phase of the network and is seeking a contractor who can provide the labor, tools, and test equipment necessary (as well as all other consumables outside the project-specific FTTH materials and equipment needed, such as tape, etc) for the completion of each portion of the project within the timeline as set by the Washington State Broadband Office, WITA, and Whidbey Telecom. Non-local contractors will need to include all travel time, meals, accommodations, and all other subsequent travel considerations and their costs on bid sheet. All work performed on this project will be subject to state wage rates. Whidbey Telecom, WITA, and the Washington State Broadband Office are Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employers. Small, Minority- and Women-owned firms are encouraged to submit bids. Please submit all requests for project documents and/or questions to Whidbey Telecom via phone or e-mail. All bid proposals must be delivered in a sealed envelope to the following: Michelle Pardee & Nate Rypstra Whidbey Telecom 1651 Main St. Freeland, WA 98249-9677 866-548-7760 contracts@whidbeytel.com A five percent (5%) bid guarantee is required in form of a cashier’s check, money order, or surety bond (Code cities, second class cities, and towns: RCW 35.23.352) or (Counties RCW 35.23.352) or (Port Districts RCW 53.08.130) or (Water/sewer Districts RCW 57.08.050). It will be the responsibility of the selected Contractor(s) to provide the configuration and system quantities to all locations stated herein. Whidbey Telecom is not responsible for any omission, failure to detect any requirement, or any other condition required to complete the project. The Contractor(s) responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Meet with representatives of Whidbey Telecom to exchange information, agree on details of network specifics, equipment arrangements, and installation interfaces for the FTTH project. Have sufficient resources to complete the projects presented by this REQUEST FOR BIDS within the allotted timeframe. Furnish all labor, supervision, quality control, and tooling for the FTTH network. Attend all mandatory pre-construction meetings prior to any fieldwork. Install all material and equipment in accordance to their product and service specifications; including Whidbey Telecom’s standards and specifications as applicable, the manufacturer’s specifications (including standards and recommendations), and best industry practices. Test all fiber, cables, splices, terminations, hardware, and any other applicable materials and equipment for defects in installation and to verify plant performance under installed conditions. Tests are to be conducted according to FOA, the Washington State Broadband Office, and Whidbey Telecom’s specifications and standards. Supply documentation acceptable to Whidbey Telecom for testing, and footage of fiber and splicing. Abide by and remain responsible for compliance with all Federal, State, and local regulations. Abide by and remain responsible for compliance with all requirements as outlined by the State of Washington’s Broadband Office Infrastructure Acceleration Grant. Label, bond, and ground all applicable equipment and installations to National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) specifications. Contractor Qualifications Failure to meet all the qualifications will result in bid rejection. The Applicant must be a registered contractor and licensed in the state of Washington. The Contractor must have a current Unified Business Identifier (UBI) number. The Contractor must have industrial insurance/workers’ comp coverage. For more details see Washington State Department of Labor and Industries’ (L&I) publication at https://lni.wa.gov/forms-publications/f101-002-000.pdf The Contractor must have an Employment Security Department (ESD) account. The Contractor must have a state excise tax registration number. The Contractor shall not be disqualified from bidding under RCW 39.06.010 or 39.12.065(3). The Contractor shall not have any apprenticeship violations. The Contractor must certify through a sworn statement or an unsworn declaration under penalty of perjury that they are not a willful violator of labor laws in reference to RCW 49.48.082 within the past three years. The Contractor must have received training, provided by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) or by a provider whose curriculum has been approved by L&I, on the requirements related to public works and prevailing wages. However, bidders that have completed three or more public works projects and maintained a valid business license in Washington for at least three years are exempt from this requirement. The Contractor must be capable of constructing the network as outlined in this REQUEST FOR BIDS according to the finalized network design and configuration. The Contractor must have verifiable experience completing fiber-to-the-home projects of similar size, scope and complexity. The Contractor must be in good standing with the FCC and the state of Washington. The Contractor must provide OSHA qualified and capable personnel to install telecommunications equipment as applicable to each portion of the project. The Contractor must ensure that all laborers, mechanics, etc. employed by the Contractor and any applicable Subcontractors are paid prevailing wager as determined and enforced by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) The Contractor must make every effort to hire locally as much as made possible by the local labor pool and availability of skilled workers. Mandatory Proposal Content Cover Letter Each Applicant submitting a proposal must provide a cover letter signed by an individual authorized and empowered to bind the Applicant to the provisions of this REQUEST FOR BIDS and any contract awarded pursuant to it. The cover letter should include the following: Legal name of Applicant Business Address Primary Point of Contact (POC) Primary POC Phone Number Primary POC E-mail Address A statement that the Applicant is qualified, licensed, insured, and otherwise authorized to complete the project(s) as included in this REQUEST FOR BIDS Estimate of projected crew size and count for project completion State how many crew members who will be working on the project reside on Whidbey Island, if any Applicant Experience Provide three (3) references of completed or mostly completed projects of similar size, scope, and complexity to the project(s) as included in this REQUEST FOR BIDS. For each project reference, include the following: Project Title Location Contract Value Brief Description of the Project Primary POC Primary POC Phone Number Primary POC E-mail Address Resumes of key personnel to be assigned to project team, including Superintendent(s) to be used Bid Form – to access bid form, e-mail contracts@whidbeytel.com Describe what percentage (if any) to be subcontracted. If subcontractors are to be used; describe the type of work to be subcontracted and the process by which those subcontractors are selected and managed Current maximum bonding capacity and rate Proof of licensure in the State of Washington Acceptable proof of Liability Insurance Evaluation Criteria Evaluation and scoring of responses will be based on cost and the Applicant’s availability of the materials and resources required to complete this project by the project deadline, as well as the Applicant’s experience, and ability to complete all requirements of the project(s) in the most cost-effective manner possible. However, the following additional criteria will be considered during the evaluation process. Applicants who bid on all three projects combined will receive additional points Applicants who include splicing and drop construction in bid to complete construction of all aspects of each network will receive additional points Applicants with staff or crew members who live locally on Whidbey Island will receive additional points Applicants who present an attention to detail in planning and execution, and those who show initiative in taking a holistic approach to completing the entirety of each project in a way that expedites the construction and customer cutovers (placing cable, splicing, drop work, installation, etc) will receive additional points Attachments – Please e-mail your name, company name, phone number, and e-mail address to contracts@whidbeytel.com to access all project documents. A signed NDA will be required. Attachment A: Map of FTTH Network Design – Bayview 8 Attachment B: Map of FTTH Network Design – Goss Ridge Attachment C: Map of FTTH Network Design – Pioneer Park Attachment D: Bid Form Attachment E: FTTH Network Diagram – Bayview 8 Attachment F: FTTH Network Diagram – Goss Ridge Attachment G: FTTH Network Diagram – Pioneer Park Closing Date: Thursday, June 22, 2023Organization: Whidbey TelecomPoint of Contact: Nate Rypstra contracts@whidbeytel.com