S01 Amendment 01 Site Visit Notes_8-28-23 by GWells__12FPC323B0011.pdf

Site Visit - EWP – Village of New Boston, Scioto County, Ohio

Solicitation 12FPC323B0011

August 28, 2023 – 10:30 a.m. Eastern

Site Visit began with review of solicitation package, and government contract requirement by Contracting Officer’s Representative – Greg Wells.

Work is being contracted by the federal government and is being sponsored by Village of New Boston. Although this work will be done through a federal contract with USDA, the Village of New Boston has a cost share arrangement with the government through a project agreement, so this work is being done on their behalf. Steve Hamilton, Village Administrator for New Boston, was in attendance and did provide assistance with answering questions as noted below.

Questions regarding the solicitation should be directed to Natasha Kennedy, Contract Specialist, at natasha.kennedy@usda.gov or to Laureen (Lauri) Eipp, Contracting Officer, at laureen.eipp@usda.gov , and additional contact information for either is found in the solicitation.

The items discussed at this pre-bid conference/site visit are intended to highlight certain items.

Not all items are covered. Those in the solicitation that are not covered are just as important and binding as those that are. Also, any statements that are made during this meeting which conflict with or are not stated in the solicitation are not binding. Any discrepancies between information provided during the site showing and the solicitation should be raised by a prospective bidder to the contracting officer immediately for resolution. Only the contents of the solicitation (including amendments thereto) are binding upon submission of a bid and award of a contract.

A Firm Fixed Price Construction Contract (FAR Part 36) will be awarded under Seal Bidding Procedure (FAR Part 14). A bid bond is required to be submitted with the bid in the amount of 20% of the bid price. Bid and bid bond must be received via email – by 2:00 pm Eastern Time on September 13, 2023 to the address in Section L, page 42, of the solicitation. Instructions for submitting and electronic bid and participate in the virtual bid opening can be found starting on page 42 of the solicitation package.

Please be sure that all required representations and certifications in Section K are completed and submitted with the bid and to keep an eye on the solicitation on SAM.gov all the way through the due date for bids to see if any additional amendments have been issued which may affect the bid.

Bidders must provide a 60-day acceptance period – anything less will render bid non-responsive and it will have to be rejected. Award will be made to the lowest priced, responsive bid, from a responsible bidder. See FAR clauses 52.214-18 and 52.214-19 for more detailed information on the preparation of bids and contract award.

Must return:

SF1442 – pages 1-2

• Complete Blocks 14-20c. MUST complete enter total bid amount in block 17, acknowledge any amendments in block 19, and enter name and title of authorized representative, their sign and date in block 20a, 20b, 20c. DO NOT complete anything below block 20c.

Bid Schedule – page 4

• Enter an amount for each line item, unit price, extended price and total quote amount. Do Not round numbers. Check math!

• Enter Name of Company submitting bid and Unique Entity ID.

Section K – pages 31-38

• Be sure to check appropriate option in FAR clause 52.204-8 (page 31) indicating whether paragraph D applies or completing individual certifications; and certification in FAR clause 52.204-24 on page 34; and 52.209-11 on page 32; and 52.209-13 on page 36.

Perspective Awardee MUST be registered in the SAM prior to award and maintain as Active throughout contract performance.

Work is set aside for Small Business - under NAICS Code 237990 - Size Standard is $45 million average annual gross receipts averaged over 3 years.

Magnitude of work is between $250,000-$500,000.

Department of Labor, Construction Wage Rates Apply – FAR Clause 52.222-6 and must be paid to all employees working under the contract (attachment to solicitation) – Must submit weekly certified payrolls – thru COR. Employees will be interviewed to verify wages being paid.

Performance Time is 52 calendar days. This time includes the entire time between the start date which is the date of the notice to proceed and all the way through completion of the work and site cleanup.

Upon contract award, the successful offeror will have 10 calendar days to provide a payment bond (SF-25) and performance bond (SF-25A) – for 100% of the contract price. As well as a construction schedule, safety program and Safety officer, first aid certifications, COI, designation of Superintendent, and Quality Control personnel.

Variation in Estimated Quantities – FAR Clause 52.211-18 in included in this solicitation. For quantities that vary more than 15% more or less than the estimated quantity, the contractor or government can request an equitable adjustment in the contract price upon demand. Otherwise, accepted unit prices will be used to calculate final cost.

Buy American Act-Construction – This solicitation includes the provision 52.225-10 and clause 52.225-9 - all construction materials used by the contractor shall be domestic (U.S.).

FAR Clause 52.222-37 requires Bidders of contracts awarded over $150K to submit annually a VETS4212 report. This verification will be required before award will be made.

Preconstruction meeting will be held with contractor prior to issuing notice to proceed to review equipment, permit requirements, and all submittals - safety plan, first aid certifications, construction schedule, contractor’s superintendent, etc.

Site of Performance

- Safety Requirements, Including Underground Utilities

Safety is #1 priority. OSHA Regulations and in addition NRCS Supplement to OSHA is found in Section H of contract package – beginning on page 13. Please review and pay careful attention.

Must demonstrate you have a safety program commensurate with the work to be performed. Required to submit written safety plan for approval prior to starting work.

MUST have on site at all times an employee who has a current first aid certificate from the Red Cross, the Mine Safety & Health Administration or any other state approved organization. Copies of certification must be supplied by successful contractor prior to issuance of Notice to Proceed. A 16-unit first aid kit must be on site at all times.

Greg reviewed hard hat requirements found on page 16 of the solicitation, as well as hard hat signage details.

Greg mentioned clause AGAR 452.236-73 and noted if archaeological or historical artifacts are uncovered during construction, construction is to be paused immediately, and the agency cultural resource contacts should be notified.

There will be an Inspector and/or Alternate Inspector on site at all times during contract performance.

All necessary permits have been obtained. Contractor is responsible only for making the necessary Call before you Dig contact.

Work limits of the site as well as the baseline will be flagged in advance by the Government.

Payment under construction contracts will be made within 14 days - upon completion and final inspection/acceptance of work by Government, submission of all weekly certified payrolls and proper invoice. See page 11-12. Greg also mentioned that payments are processed using the Invoice Payment Platform (IPP), and additional information on it is also on page 11.

Work is to begin within 5-days of receipt of the Notice to Proceed. It is anticipated that work will start on or about October 2nd but not sooner, as the Village of New Boston has an event in Millbrook Park and has asked that work begin not earlier than the first week of October.

Greg reminded the group again that the bids are to be submitted by email to Natasha Kennedy, and pointed out that the coordinates for dialing in to a public bid opening teleconference on September 13, 2023 are given on Page 43 of the solicitation.

Remarks and explanations at this conference SHALL NOT qualify the terms of the solicitation.

Contracting Officer Representative, Greg Wells then reviewed the Construction Specifications pointing out for the group the Items of Work, the Bid Items, and importance of Subsidiary Items.

The costs for work considered subsidiary must be included in the bid item that it is subsidiary to.

Contractors are advised to read through the specification and pay careful attention to the subsidiary items for each bid item. Details mentioned for specific specifications are listed below:

Spec 4 – Channel Clearing and Shaping: Guardrail along Lakeshore Drive and posts shall be removed and stockpiled in the staging area to the south of the work area within the work limits in the Millbrook Park parking area. The old wall and existing riprap and grouted rock riprap are to be removed as part of this specification.

o Q: Does the Village of New Boston have a lot or location where spoils can be dumped?

A: Greg: NRCS must approve a dump site, and it must be outside a flood plain and done in an environmentally friendly location. Steve Hamilton: The Village does not have a spoils stockpile location, but Steve does know of a local individual named Randy Fife, who is an approved spoil disposal area for ODOT and AEP. If a contractor needs contact info, Steve can provide it after contract award, but cannot guarantee that this location will accept any spoil.

Spec 5 – Pollution Control: The contractor is required to submit a written Pollution Control Plan for this project, and Greg will review it at the Preconstruction Meeting.

Spec 8 – Mobilization & Demobilization: Greg reviewed the details regarding protecting pavement in Millbrook Park, that the Village will remove existing chain link fence within the work limits prior to construction, the requirement for temporary construction/safety fencing within the park, and that NRCS will mark work limits. Greg reviewed the need for a Construction Schedule submittal prior to starting work.

o Item #8 with the Items of Work requires a portable toilet facility to be provided by the contractor. Steve Hamilton with the Village pointed out that two portable toilet facilities are available immediately adjacent to the work limits within the park and are maintained by the Village, and providing another shouldn’t be needed. Greg concurred and agreed that the requirement of the contractor to provide a portable toilet would be waived.

Spec 9 – Traffic Control: Lakeshore Drive will be closed to through traffic. Greg pointed out the homes along the opposite side of the street that will need vehicle access maintained. Road closure details from the spec were reviewed as well as coordination of other temporary road blockages with the Village, for instances such as unloading materials and equipment.

o Q: Are barrels needed to divide road where access to homes is required?

A: Not necessarily, but we do need to maintain one lane of safe access for those residents. We can discuss exact details of planned road closure at the preconstruction meeting.

Spec 11 – Removal of Water: Greg pointed out that a written dewatering plan is required and will be reviewed/discussed at the preconstruction meeting.

Spec 21 – Excavation: Greg pointed out that excavation is subsidiary to Bid Item 1 – Channel Clearing and Shaping. Upon excavation of the subgrade below the proposed wall, the contractor shall allow NRCS to evaluate the soils prior to placement of the Compacted Drainfill – No. 4 Stone.

o Q: Who exactly does inspection of subgrade, does contractor have to hire someone?

A: No, the NRCS Engineer (Greg) will complete this, and will likely bring along the Ohio NRCS Geologist to assist.

Greg discussed that if any poor-quality soils were discovered, the spec describes that those soils would be removed and replaced with additional Compacted Drainfill – No. 4 Stone under Bid Item #4.

o Q: If there is a need for over-excavation to remove poor quality material, how is that excavation paid?

A: Excavation is paid as part of Bid Item #1 – Channel Clearing and Shaping, which is a lump sum item. We will pay for the additional Compacted Drainfill – No. 4 Stone by the ton as described in Spec 24 – Drainfill, under Bid Item #4. If the additional amount needed was within 15% of the estimated amount, we would pay at the contract unit price. However, if the over-excavation required was such that the drainfill then needed exceeded our 15% variation, the contractor could then ask for a renegotiated unit price for the additional drainfill if it was felt that the additional work and time of excavation and placement warranted a change in unit price.

Spec 23 – Earthfill: Earthfill for this job, as required behind the wall drainfill and to create the slope above the wall, is specified as Class C earthfill. Compaction requirements for Class C earthfill are given in the Items of Work with this specification.

Spec 24 – Drainfill: Greg described that there are three items of work for Drainfill. Two are Bid Items #3 & #4. The third type is subsidiary drainfill for the #57 stone associated with Bid Item #5 – Rock Riprap. Please take note and get familiar with all three of these items.

o Q: Does a contractor need to provide weigh tickets for the drainfill provided?

A: Yes, the inspector will collect scale tickets for all drainfill brought to the site.

o Q: Does the drainfill require compaction?

A: Compaction required varies by drainfill type. The compaction requirements for all three types are clearly described in Items of Work within the specification.

Spec 32 – Structure Concrete: The item of work for this specification is forming and placing concrete around two culvert outlets through the planned precast block wall.

Requirements for the concrete and forming are given in the specifications, and payment does not apply. This item is subsidiary to Bid Item #6 – Precast Concrete Block wall.

Spec 61 – Rock Riprap: This work under this specification is Bid Item #5 – Rock Riprap.

Riprap suppliers must be currently ODOT certified for ODOT Type C riprap. As a reminder, the drainfill required under the riprap is subsidiary and to be included in the price for the Rock Riprap.

Spec 62 – Grouted Rock Riprap: This item of work includes the grouted rock riprap at the transitions between the Precast Concrete Block wall and existing walls/wing walls as shown in the drawings. This item is subsidiary to Bid Item #6 – Precast Concrete Block.

Spec 94 – Contractor Quality Control: The contractor must identify to NRCS whom will be responsible for quality control, and communicate that to us at the pre-construction meeting.

Spec 426 – Precast Concrete Block: Blocks shall be of the size and type shown in the drawings. Requirements are listed in the specification for the blocks and the manufacturer. The culvert extensions required to extend two existing culverts through the wall are included and subsidiary to this Bid Item #6. Blocks shown in the drawings are the same as those used in a nearby wall just upstream at the Village of New Boston school.

o Q: Does the block supplier need to be certified?

A: Yes, they supplier must have plant certification from the National Precast Concrete Association’s Plant Certification Program.

o Q: Does the face of the block need to have a certain texture?

A: No, either cobble or limestone looking face texture will be fine, but the blocks must be of the specified size and shape. Any other changes to the block type must be approved by the contracting officer prior to any change.

o Q: Where did they get the blocks used at the school wall?

A: We do not know the supplier or specify a brand name from this contract.

The group then began to walk the site and review the project drawings at the same time. The work limits boundaries along the east side of the stream were pointed out and fencing requirements described again. The artificial turf playground area was identified. Gate access to the work limits from Oak Street was pointed out.

It was pointed out by Steve Hamilton from the Village and by Greg Wells that an area of concrete with swing posts is within the work limits on the east side of the stream. The swing is missing, and Steve said the Village cannot get a swing to replace it. So, Steve and Greg agreed that if a contractor wished to remove this concrete pad and posts and dispose of them to allow easier access, that was allowable. The drawings show “Swinging Bench, Do Not Remove”, but we will allow removal of the posts and concrete by the contractor if they so choose.

It was also noted that railroad ties and mulch along the north playground area are within the work limits. These can be removed by the contractor to allow better access to the work. This can be removed to 6’ from the blue swing posts, as called out on the drawings.

Q: Where is the laydown area to store materials and do staging?

A: These areas should remain within the work limits shown on the drawings. There is a small area here on the east side of the stream. In addition, there is a parking area along Lakeshore Drive on the west side of the stream, south of the proposed work that is within the work limits and to be used. In addition, Steve Hamilton offered that the Village has a second parking area farther south also along Lakeshore Drive, that the Village would flag off and allow the contractor to use if needed and requested during construction. This area is not shown in the drawings, and contractor must notify NRCS and the Village prior to use.

Q: IQ: Is there a structure removal bid item for the old wall and riprap?

A: No, that work is to be paid as part of Bid Item #1 – Channel Clearing and Shaping.

The group then moved to the west side of the stream, where the work limits were described.

Access to the homes and driveways to be maintained was pointed out. The baseline was pointed out and described. The culverts to be extended were pointed out as well. Utilities information for the site from our design call is shown on the cover sheet of the drawings, but the contractor will need to make a marking/excavation call prior to construction.

Q: What is this low overhead line above the road edge? And can it be moved?

A: Greg stated he didn’t know what utility the line belonged to, and Steve stated he believed it to be a phone line. Greg stated that if a contractor wished to temporarily move this line it would need to be coordinated by the contractor during construction, after making his utility locate call.

Q: Will NRCS help with project layout?

A: NRCS will layout the baseline again. In addition, NRCS can set hubs to mark the front of wall layout points shown in the drawings on Sheet 4. If the hubs or baseline are later disturbed, the contractor will need to relocate those points.

Q: Are there benchmarks?

A: Yes, as shown on the drawings. There’s a paint mark BM on the Oak St. bridge wing wall, and a hub set on the east side of the stream. If the hub is gone or another TBM is needed, NRCS can set one at the start of construction.

Q: The planned riprap in front of the walls…where is that quantity in the Bid Items?

A: That quantity of stone is within Bid Item #5 – Rock Riprap.

• Q: There is a guy wire from the electric pole along Lakeshore Drive about Sta. 11+50 that extends out toward the stream. Will this be in the way of construction?

A: The wall should be clear of this guy wire, but it will be an obstacle to work around during construction.

• Q: Does NRCS have the waterway permits needed for this work in the stream?

A: NRCS has a Nationwide 37 permit with USACE and has a 401 Director’s Authorization from Ohio EPA.

• Q: Does a bidder have to prove that they are a small business under that $45 million annual income size standard?

A: In SAM.gov, the Government verifies the size standard status for each firm.

• Q: How would a bidder access today’s site visit notes and sign-in sheet?

A: Those items will be posted to the solicitation on SAM.gov

• Q: Was the site visit today mandatory in order to submit a bid?

A: No, it is not mandatory to attend.

• Q: Are there any DBE or Edge requirements of the contractor to submit a bid?

A: None that Greg is aware of, but please direct that question to Natasha Kennedy or Lauri Eipp via email for a definitive answer. Tasha: There are no DBE or Edge requirements.

• Q: Does a contractor need to be pre-qualified by NRCS, like needed with ODOT?

A: No, they just need to be registered in SAM to submit a bid or have a contract.

• Q: Is compaction testing required for the drainfill and earthfill?

A: No. The compaction requirement methods for those materials are listed in the specifications.

• Q: Do the drawings show the slope layback excavation requirements or amounts behind the wall?

A: Yes, the cross sections show the details and distances to the excavated slope behind the drainfill. If over excavated by the contractor without any concurrence by NRCS, the additional drainfill required would not be included in the paid amount.

• Q: Does the contractor need to replace the railroad ties and mulch around the playground area if removed during construction?

A: No, the Village will replace that material.

• Q: Does the red house along Lakeshore Drive need access to the wheelchair ramp maintained? That ramp is in an area where we hoped to block both lanes of the road.

A: (Answer by Steve Hamilton) No, that ramp is no longer used by the homeowner.

• Q: Does the old wall need removed in the stream or can we build in front of it?

A: Yes, it needs removed as described in Spec 4 – Channel Clearing and Shaping as well as Spec 21 – Excavation.

• Q: Is the culvert to be extended on the west side of the channel metal? Or what type of pipe?

A: It is believed to be a vitrified clay or steel pipe, not a corrugated PE.

• Q: Foster Supply, a local precast block supplier, no longer makes large quantities of the blocks shown in the drawings. What happens if there is a lead time between contract award and availability of the blocks?

A: There will be a period of time between contract award and the issuance of a Notice to Proceed with the work. During that time the contractor should be sourcing material to try and avoid delays. If we know a delay is coming before issuance of a Notice to Proceed, the contractor should notify NRCS to see what options are available. The blocks only need to be of the size and shape shown. Texture of the stream side block surface isn’t critical if that helps expedite sourcing material. Also, are there multiple suppliers in the area that could be checked for sourcing. That should be investigated.

The site visit concluded at 11:54 AM Eastern time.

Notes taken by Logan Veley and Greg Wells with NRCS.