BACKGROUND

The City of Ocala seeks a qualified vendor to provide all labor, equipment, and supervision necessary to perform professional palm inoculation services and Cambistat treatments for selected trees, reinforcing the Recreation & Parks Department’s efforts to protect tree health, extend canopy lifespan, and preserve the quality and appearance of public spaces for residents and visitors. The City of Ocala manages a diverse urban forest across parks, public landscapes, Downtown, the North Magnolia corridor, and the Ocala Golf Club, including high‑value palms vulnerable to Lethal Bronzing Disease, a rapidly spreading and fatal infection best managed through early detection and proactive antibiotic inoculation. In addition, the City maintains a wide range of mature shade trees that require ongoing care to ensure safety, stability, and long‑term vitality, with growth‑regulation treatments like Cambistat helping reduce canopy stress and improve resilience in high‑traffic urban environments. Cambistat treatments and tree testing will be done on an as-needed basis with no minimum guarantee.

LICENSING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

1. Licensing Requirement: Bidder must be a licensed as a Certified Arborist in the State of Florida to submit a bid for this project. Bidder must provide documentation of certification.

2. Experience Requirement: Bidder must possess two (2) years’ experience in providing inoculation and cambistat treatments on trees.

CONTRACT TERM/DELIVERY TIMELINE

1. Term: The resulting contract will be for an initial term of three (3) years.

2. Renewals: Two (2) optional, one-year renewal terms.

3. Escalation: Any price increase for contract renewal will be subject to negotiation as approved by the City of Ocala. In no case will the increase exceed three percent (3%) annually unless there are mitigating market conditions. Prices increases shall be based on the CPI-U and Vendor must submit their request for an increase with CPI justification at least 90 days prior to the end of the current term.