SiteTourNotes.docx

Crooked River Valley Rehabilitation – Phase 2

RFP 12034319R0004

Pre-Bid Tour Notes 4/30/2018 Prepared by Karen Ruklic

Government Representatives:

Karen Ruklic, USFS Contracting Officer Jenifer Harris, Nez Perce Tribe Watershed Division Project Inspector Paul McCloskey, USFS Project Inspector/Engineer Jarrod Crow, Nez Perce Tribe Watershed Division Nate Millet, USFS Hydrologist Stephen Hampton, USFS Biologist

Industry Attendees:

Ed Schmit and Blaine Hubbard Glacier Excavating

Nate Connor and Ken E.

Academy Consulting

Pierce Sernett Steve Lindley Contracting

Jack Borley and Dave Boney Northcon Construction

Kahneedah Rehbein and Tyler Rehbein Rehbein Enterprises, Inc.

Attendees met at the Crooked River Bridge on 4/30/2019 at approximately 11:00 AM. Contracting Officer started the meeting by reviewing the following solicitation background information, requirements, clauses and provisions:

· Reviewed Objectives and Background of Project - see C-1 (a). The Crooked River Valley Rehabilitation is being performed in conjunction with the Nez Perce Tribe and the Bonneville Power Administration in order to restore fish habitat.

· Jenifer Harris stressed the de-fishing operation to be conducted by the government. A long stretch of active channel has to be de-fished prior to instream work. The Contractor will help dewater the mainstem channel by diverting it to the bypass channel. Expect this operation to take 5 days. Contractor will be instrumental in assisting the government in reducing water levels with dewatering equipment so that fish/aquatic organisms can be manually removed by government personnel. Multiple pools also need to be de-fished with contractor assistance, which primarily consists of water managment. Contractor is required to give government 15 day notice prior to diverting flows into bypass channel. Approximately 60 employees/volunteers assist the government with fish salvage. Therefore, providing a firm schedule for water diversion will be critical for our planning efforts.

· B-3 Schedule of Items Additive Item 12 – Large Wood Structure – Type 1. Stressed to contractors that their unit prices and our available funding would be used to determine if any, some, or all of the estimated quantity would be awarded. This decision shall be made concurrent with the award of the base items.

· B-4 Schedule of Items Option for Increased Quantity Item 13 – Earthwork – Import/Export Additional Fill from/to staging area. This item must be awarded prior to 9/15/19. It is the government’s unilateral option to award. The decision to award shall be based on funding availability and the need to make up for variations from the quantities currently estimated under Items 4 and 5. The estimated quantities for these items are very hard to estimate particularly in relation to the ponds to be filled. To mitigate for underruns and overruns, during contract administration, opportunities shall be taken to field fit the design to keep the quantities in line with the original estimates.

· Items 9-11 are for hourly Equipment Rental ordered by the government for work above the estimated quantities (see H-16, Equipment Rental). Hours worked shall be documented by the COR and paid based on the actual number of hours worked. Excess funding shall be de-obligated at the end of the contract. The equipment called for would be of the same type used for the material haul (dump truck) or excavation/grading (excavator/bulldozer). A special size is not required.

· Noted that original bid bonds are required.

· B-5 Please note this new requirement: For government filing purposes, offerors shall also submit an electronic file containing of all offer documents on a USB drive with its hardcopy offer.

· B-7 Additional Wage Classification Required. No excavator operator rate is included in the wage decision applicable to this project. A rate shall be conformed after award. Most recently conformed rate was $28.04/hour with $15.20 fringe (DOL approval in 11/08/2018).

· B-8 Idaho Use Tax. Only GFP that should be subject to Use Tax would be Rip Rap if hauled from off-site. Other locally sourced/stockpiled material should be exempt.

· C-4 Bio-based Product Utilization. The required Fish-Friendly Hydraulic Fluid for equipment operating in-stream will meet the bio-based requirement. (Also see H-6 Environmental Protection for further info.)

· In- stream work must occur after 7/15/2019. Project completion by 10/31/2019. Work can begin prior to 7/15/2019.

· M-1 EVALUATION CRITERIA Government stressed the requirement for submittal of complete technical proposals that supply all the information requested in this provision; don’t reiterate the specifications. Make sure the client contact information required for reference checks is current and that the key employees are identified for the past work performed. The government requires complete information regarding the technical approach for how/when all the significant work items (see Schedule of Items) will be performed. Be sure to respond with the information requested by the bullets. The government is very interested in knowing who will be on site and who will be operating the equipment; we have seen the difference that a high quality operator can make in the quality of the final product. A different operator may not be substituted without similar or higher qualifications than the operator proposed and not without government approval. The government stressed experience constructing new river channels and water and turbidity management. Please note that technical factors when combined are more important than price in the award decision.

Based on our experiences during previous phases, turbidity will affect the active channel of Crooked River through groundwater/surface water connections that the contractor will need to be prepared to control. The contractor shall be expected to have a full complement of erosion control materials on site, prior to breaking ground, in order to be prepared and mitigate for spikes in turbidity caused by project activities and in response to environmental conditions such as thunderstorms. No erosion control materials are available for purchase in the Elk City area so when needs arise, lengthy trips are required.

Part of the government’s reason for the emphasis on turbidity management stems from the fact that suction dredge operations on the South Fork Clearwater River coincide with our contract’s performance window. The public users are held to turbidity standards and get upset if government site remediation activities cause excessive turbidity.

Group caravaned to project site and viewed the project area from several locations along Road 233. Jenifer Harris provided the following project details.

· Keeping turbidity levels below the 50 NTU limit is critical.

· A turbidity meter will be set up below the mixing zone by the government to provide real-time levels. There is an area just below the project area with ponds and tailings piles where turbid water can be pumped, if necessary. The water level in the ponds expresses the groundwater level and there is approximately 2-4 feet of sediment in the bottom of the ponds. 6-inch pumps were used last year and were not as effective with higher groundwater levels. The contractor should have a clear plan and various options for water management.

· The contractor will provide fish salvage support by managing the water levels and turbidity, but is not required to help salvage aquatic species.

· The contractor will have BPMs on site prior to breaking ground. Material salvage on the tailings piles can begin prior to fish salvage, but no instream work is permitted.

· The contractor may cross the channel a limited number of times with the excavator to access the Phase 2 area prior to constructing the diversion.

· The 233 Road is a County owned road. The contractor should document the existing condition of the road prior to mobilizing to the site. Haul on the 233 Road will be minimal.

· Campground 4, located just north of the stockpile site is a good location for camping. District permit to exceed 14 day stay limit required. COR will facilitate securing permit if necessary. Limited hotel accommodations. Jenifer Harris can provide recommendations for the sites that friendly to government contractors. Limited services in the local area. However, grocery store is good.

· Temporary bridge was discussed. See Amendment and attached Questions/Answers submitted after the Site Tour for additional details.

· A small culvert needs to be placed prior to acessing the site and minor repare to the levee road may be necessary.