Salisbury Zoo Animal Health Clinic

At the October 11, 2010, City Council meeting, the City Council approved a bid for the Animal Health Clinic at the Salisbury Zoo. This new building will include animal holding areas, a surgery room, a necropsy room and an office area. The building is a positive addition to the Salisbury Zoo and keeps the Zoo recognized as one of the best small zoos in the United States.

Joseph Zimmer, Inc. was the lowest, responsive and responsible bidder for Phases I and II of the building project. At present, the City has funding to build Phases I and II and will complete Phase III when funding is available. The fundraising arm of the Salisbury Zoo, the Delmarva Zoological Society, is currently conducting the fundraising campaign for Phase III.

The City has received an inquiry about the bidding procedure, and this press release provides more detail about the process. The entire bid procedure was conducted by the Procurement Division of the Internal Services Department with the assistance of the Department of Public Works. Members of the Zoo Commission had no participation in the selection process.

The initial request for proposals was made available to all interested construction companies. This document contained the City standard conditions which the Procurement Division has included in all bids for the past several years. Specifically, the City reserved the right to reject any and all bids and to accept a bid in whole or in part. The bid document also contained language which permitted the City to make changes to increase or decrease the scope and nature of the work and service to be undertaken.

A pre-bid meeting was held for all potential bidders on May 19, 2010. Questions about the bid documents can and should have been asked at this meeting or within a defined time after the pre-bid meeting. As a result of questions asked by various bidders, the request for proposals was further explained in addendums sent to all bidders dated May 14, 2010, May 26, 2010, June 3, 2010, June 7, 2010, June 9, 2010, June 17, 2010, and June 29, 2010.

When bids were opened, eleven (11) contractors had submitted bids for Phases I, II and III of the Animal Health Clinic construction. The bids were each evaluated in detail by City Procurement and Public Works personnel. On October 11, 2010, a recommendation for approval of the low bidder for Phases I and II of the construction was submitted to the City Council and approved at a public meeting. This bid process has been reviewed and approved by the City Solicitor.

This information is provided to inform all interested parties about the City’s bid documents and process, and the careful review of all bids before presentation to the City Council for approval. This process allows each bidder to ask questions and receive answers prior to submitting their bid and provides a level playing field for all bidders.

The construction of this new clinic represents a significant step forward in the future of the Zoo. This building will serve as the cornerstone for future development of the Zoo’s animal collection and allow the Zoo staff to more efficiently address the medical needs of the animals. This building also represents the first construction project to be funded through the Renew the Zoo! Capital Campaign. Great things are happening at the Zoo! The City, the Zoo and our community look forward to breaking ground on this important new addition to the Zoo.