The file's text, extracted by GovTribe without its formatting.
Questions and Answers 1305M326Q0220 Landscape Services, Ruskin, FL
| Q1. | For grass mowing and trimming, does the Government require all grass clippings/trimmings to be collected and removed from the site after each mowing, or is it acceptable for the cut grass to remain on the lawn areas as long as sidewalks, walking areas, roadways, parking areas, entrances, and other hard surfaces are cleared? |
| A1. | All grass clippings must be properly removed and disposed of offsite. While they can be mulched on the lawn areas if they are not visible after mowing, any significant visible clippings (large amounts of clippings) must be removed from the grounds. Furthermore, all sidewalks, paved areas, parking lots, walks, driveways, and concrete flat-work must be completely cleaned and kept free of all lawn clippings and debris after each mowing. |
| Q2. | For debris removal, should the contractor include removal of all natural and manmade debris found during each scheduled service visit, or only debris directly generated by the contractor’s landscaping work? |
| A2. | Yes, the contractor is responsible for a general litter patrol of all grounds, which is not limited to their own generated waste. This includes the removal and offsite disposal of all natural debris (such as tree limbs, dry brush, rodent habitats, and dead animals) as well as manmade debris across the entire improved and semi-improved grounds. This policing of the grounds must be performed concurrently with the mowing schedule. |
| Q3: | The SOW requires all grass clippings and debris to be disposed of "offsite". Please confirm if there are any restrictions on using local municipal facilities or if the Government requires proof of disposal at a specific type of facility. |
| A3: | No restrictions; no specific facility |
| Q4. | For mulch or pine straw replacement, is there a specific depth, material type, color, or estimated square footage/bed area that contractors should use for pricing? |
| A4. | Typically, the contractor will use brown pine park nuggets/chunks and mulch to a depth of 2-3 inches. |
| Q5: | Could the Government specify the estimated quantity (e.g., cubic yards) required for mulch/straw replacement in the flower beds? |
| A5: | Approx 40-50 cubic yards |
| Q6: | For fire ant control, should treatment be applied sitewide during each mowing service, or only to visible/active mounds identified during service visits? |
| A6. | Fire ant control shall be performed on an as-needed/spot-treatment basis concurrent with the mowing schedule. The contractor is expected to scout the lawn and flower beds during each regular service visit and treat any active or visible mounds identified. Site-wide broadcast applications are not required every week. |
| Q7: | The SOW describes the exterior grounds as consisting of improved grounds, semi-improved grounds, native grass areas, plant beds, gravel, and parking lots. To ensure all offerors are pricing against a common baseline, can the Government provide the estimated acreage for mowing and the square footage for flower beds and gravel areas? |
| A7: | Approximately 3-4 acres. Mowed grass area is approximately 2.5 acres. |
| Q8: | Paragraph 9 states that chemical weed control shall take place two times a year (March and June), yet also mandates that beds and gravel areas remain "free of weeds at all times". Given the Florida growing season, two applications may be insufficient. Will the Government consider the two scheduled applications as the baseline for pricing, or is the contractor expected to perform additional unscheduled applications at no extra cost to maintain the "free of weeds" standard? |
| A8: | 2 will be the baseline, and it is expected that would be sufficient. |
| Q9: | Paragraph 4 mentions mowing will take place per the schedule or "on an as needed basis as directed by the MIC". Does the Government anticipate that "as needed" requests will ever exceed the maximum weekly frequency defined in the schedule? If so, how should those additional visits be accounted for in the Firm-Fixed-Price quote? |
| A9: | No, assuming everything was accomplished and complete in a visit. Additional mowing is expected if not completed during the original visit. |
| Q10: | The approved hours are strictly 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Can the Government confirm that no early-morning starts (e.g., 7:00 AM or 8:00 AM) will be permitted, even during the peak summer months (April–September) when heat and weather may impact mid-day performance? |
| A10: | On occasions, mowing can start as early as 8:30am out of respect for the neighbors. |
| Q11: | We want to be clear about boundaries, are the fishery holding ponds at the back of the property included in the boundaries to be mowed? These areas look like they have not been mowed in quite a while. Could you please confirm the boundaries of the entire property? Maybe a site map that could be shared? |
| A11: | These are the boundaries of the property: |
Q12: Where are the Sprinkler Zones?
A12: See the image below. There are multiple sprinkler zones. The areas in blue are covered.
| Q13: | Is irrigation maintenance intended to be included under this contract scope, or if it is handled separately? |
| A13: | General maintenance is expected - ensuring the irrigation system is working properly and sprinkler heads and valves are performing as expected. |
| Q14. | Where would fertilizer be applied to? |
| A14: | Only to the areas that are covered by the irrigation system. |
| Q15: | We see from the site visit that the property is currently overgrown with weeds, and the neglected bushes need to be cleaned up as well. Can we add a one time clean up charge to the quote? |
| A15: | By the time an award is made, the Ruskin, FL NWS location will have been without landscape services since 05/11/2026. At a minimum, there will be weeds, overgrown lawn, and bushes that need to be shaped/cleaned up; more initial work will be required than would be experienced if there was no gap in services. Please clearly address how you will get the property back under control and ensure that your quoted pricing for the Base Year reflects this additional effort because no additional funds will be added after award to handle the initial care that will be required. Acknowledge your understanding of this in your response to this solicitation. |
image1.png image2.png
