NWS Radome Removal Pre-Proposal Conference Meeting Minutes 07112023.docx

NWS Radome Removal Project Pre-Proposal Conference Meeting Minutes July 11, 2023

Meeting Information

Attendees:

Michael Shanahan Tatiana Gonzalez Anjie Zeng Matthew Chambers Walter Cofer

Andrew Burkholder / FedConPro Anthony Fernando / Atmos Solutions John Tabella / Atmos Solutions Fenolie Lowe /Atmos Solutions

1. Mike Shanahan presented the NWS Radome Removal Project briefing

2. Overview of the Task Mission

· NWS intends to remove selected radomes. The intent is to remove the radomes in the easiest fashion possible, not requiring a lot of construction, or damage to the Upper Air Inflation Building (UAIB). Simply stated:

· Remove the radome

· Cover the roof

· Move to next site

3. Overview of the PWS & Deliverables

· Task Area 1 (Assessment)

· Submit plans to remove and dispose of radome, as well as, refurbish roof

· Submit detailed cost estimate

· At contract award the Assessment for all 53 sites will be fully funded

· The awardee is to get started right away developing a plan and schedule for completing the Assessment

· The Assessment will be used to prioritize which radomes to do first (easy removals) and which may not get removed due to asbestos or other high-risk factors.

· Task Area 2 (Radome Removal)

· Execute radome removal, disposal and roof refurbishment

· Not looking to rebuild the roof

4. Overview of the Site-Specific Planning Package

5. Overview of Site-Specific Cost Estimate

· Roofs that Mike has encountered so far have been generally concrete, with paint, EPDM or asphalt rolling

· Not looking to rebuild the roof

· Clean up once done

· Deliver report

· Project Planning: Engineering design and planning is specific to the sealing of the roof and not any roof enhancements (e.g., railings, lights etc.)

· Any extenuating circumstances should be addressed with Mike Shanahan

· Will need to plan for what happens if the roof leaks within sometime after the roof refurbishment work has completed

· We would like to make sure there is no pooling of water on the roof

6. Overview of the Site-Specific Radome Removal Reports

· Reports to include a summary, any deviations from the plan, any hazardous materials identified, photographs, as built drawings, lessons learned

7. Overview of the General Task Deliverables

· Preliminary schedule, kick-off meeting, updated schedule, and bi-weekly meetings

· There is a typo on the Performance Work Statement, it states “calendar days” and should state “business days”

· Deliverables will be tracked and reminders will be sent out

8. Overview of the Task 1 & 2 Deliverables

· Radome removal planning package and cost estimate

· Jeff Paul reiterated that it’s important to spend time on the cost estimate

· When sites are assessed, should keep the following items in mind:

· Access to the sites, is the site on Federal land where permission will be needed and contractors would need to be US citizens and have valid US driver’s license

· Are permits needed for the dome removal

· Is the area around the site accessible for staging a crane

· Once the go ahead has been given to move forward with the radome removal and the work has been completed a report will be due

9. Overview of the Radome Types

· Example photos were presented

· Most buildings are brick, cinder block, or metal

· The radomes are usually fiberglass, some with insulation on the inside

· Some radomes are old and could be brittle

· In most cases the tracking system will be removed by the site prior to the dome removal

· There are a few sites that have a newer tracking system inside the radome that will need to stay in place

10. Map of the Dome Removal Candidates

· Mike reiterated that the awardee should plan scheduling accordingly when it comes to the winter season and executing sites in a cold climate, may want to do those during a warm season

· Also keep in mind there are a few odd ball sites, such as Tallahassee that has a radome on top of a university

· Communicating with the local weather forecast staff is very important

· Jeff reiterated that following contract award the Assessments will be very important as the assessments will help the NWS determine which sites to fund for radome removal

11. Question and Answers

· How long should the assessment period take?

· Approximately 8 to 10 months

· We do not want to sacrifice quality for quickness

· As an example, the current radome feasibility study is planned for about 8 to 9 months

· The timing can be worked out after contract award

· Is there a risk to funding or an end date for the funding?

· Whatever is not spent by FY26 will be sent back to Treasury

· Solicitation specifies five years

· Funds must be obligated by the end of FY25 and will be good for eight years

· Will the UAIB feasibility study be shared with the awardee, especially any hazardous material findings?

· Yes, the study will be shared. Keep in mind that the feasibility study vendor is not required to do any testing to confirm the existence of hazardous material, the awardee of this contract will need to do any testing to confirm hazardous material

· Sites that have hazardous material will fall to the bottom of the priority list

12. Jennifer Roesner provided an overview of the Proposal Instructions

· Proposal Due, July 21, 2023 at 12:00 PM EDT (emailed to Nicole Frie, Nicole.Frie@noaa.gov)

· Solicitation instructions begin on page 27

· Overview of Volume/Instructions and page limits

· Read instructions carefully and make sure all requirement information is included

· Page 30 list requirements for joint ventures, there are specific requirements which must be submitted. Representatives from each joint venture must sign the 1499.

· Overview of Factor 1, Technical Approach

· Planned approach to perform the work, to include equipment type, Labor categories, qualifications, and crew accommodations

· The limit is 20 pages

· Be detailed and comprehensive and don’t leave anything out

· Overview of Factor 2, Past Performance

· Overview of Pricing Schedule of services

· CLIN 0001, Assessment for 53 sites

· Looking for firm fixed unit price

· Travel and other direct cost not included

· CLIN 0002, Dome Removal and Roof Remediation

· Labor categories

· Looking for firm fixed price labor rates

· CLIN 003

· Contractor is to not to exceed the $1,716,680.00 amount

· Contract is Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) vehicle

· Dome Removal and Roof Remediation will be placed as orders

· The amount of all orders shall not exceed $9,850,000.00, or the contractor’s total price whichever is higher

· Overview of the Evaluation Factors

· The government intends to select the best value proposal

· Factor 1, Technical Approach is the most important

· Factor 2, Past Performance is the second most important

· When combined, the non-price factors (Factors 1 and 2) are significantly more important than price (Factor 3)

· Overview of Factor 3, Price

· Price proposals should support the proposed technical factor and will be evaluated for reasonableness of (1) Total Evaluated Price (TEP), (2) completeness and (3) unbalanced pricing.

· Offerors whose price is determined to be incomplete or unreasonable will not be considered for award.

13. Question and Answers

· Are the past performance records just for the prime contractor or can the subcontractor’s past performance be considered?

· Major sub-contractors past performance will be considered, will need to identify how they are on your team and their expected contribution

· Will certified payroll be required, wage scale has not been seen?

· Certified payroll records are not required

· Can use www.sam.gov as a source for wage determination

· Any questions that may come up after the Pre-Proposal Conference can be addressed to Nicole Frie (Nicole.Frie@noaa.gov) and cc: Jennifer Roesner (jennifer.roesner@noaa.gov)

· Will potential contractors be able to see all the questions that get submitted?

· Yes, all questions and government responses will be posted to sam.gov without the submitter’s identity

14. Timeframe

· Anticipate making an award by the end of this fiscal year (September 2023)

· Will need proposals by the solicitation due date to complete all evaluations and approvals before the end of this fiscal year

· If more time is needed for the proposal, that will need to be addressed with Jennifer Roesner