Questions_and_Answers_from_Site_Visit_SPIM.docx

Questions and Answers in Response to Solicitation 140D0418Q0430 for Asphalt and Concrete Work at the Southern Plains Indian Museum in Anadarko, OK Where would we end working by the street? Answer: Answer is not definitive. The questions and answers have to be posted in the solicitation. Can you give something more specific?

Can you find out from the city if the standing water on the west exit is something the contractor should address while fixing the parking lot or if they city will fix it. Answer: Seriously? Is it on Government property or not? If not, not our problem and it will not be in the contract.

Is there an allowance for grade failure repair? (meaning if they have to dig up areas and replace them) Answer: Good question, I was not aware this could be an issue. However, FAR clause 52.236-36 Differing Site Conditions would apply. Basically, it gives them an out if they run across hidden conditions that they would not have known about until they started work. So my question is, is this something that they cannot tell until they get started or is this something they should have known in the site survey?

What color do we want the concrete work and do we want it to be stamped with decorative stamp? Answer: No color and no stamping. Not in specification. You would have to change the specifications to add this.

Do you want the area of concrete between the curb and asphalt cleaned off or just painted over? Answer: No idea of what they are talking about. Please provide additional information. Remember, if not addressed in the specification, the answer is automatically no.

All companies - Can an alternative be added to the contact because there really need to be a two inch overlay added to the surface. Answer: We will get back with them. Surface of what? Asphalt or concrete? They are to tell us what the normal industry practice is, what they recommend, and why and give us a price. We are not telling them what to do, they are recommending to us and quoting what to do.

Can we send advice to the contacting officer of how best to fix the parking lot? Answer: All questions and comments can be submitted in writing to the contracting office. Correct but that advice should be in their quote not a question.

After the site visit today at Anadarko Southern Plains Museum we have the following questions.

1. The sketch provided in the solicitation shows the parking lot entrances to be seal coated to the state highway. The asphalt does not extend to the highway. The entrance starts out concrete to the highway easement and then continues to the parking lot as asphalt. Is the intent to sealcoat over the concrete also?

2. At the West entrance concrete section, the drainage is poor and it ponds water. Is it the intent to fix the drainage to prevent ponding?

3. The last time the parking lot was seal coated the coating covered the concrete gutter. Is it the intent to seal the asphalt only and stop at the gutter?

4. There are areas in the asphalt entrance and parking lot that show signs of base failure. Is it the intent to seal over these areas or repair the base before sealcoating? We recommend a unit price to repair the base be added to the solicitation. Example, price per square foot.

5. Is it the intent to seal the joints in the concrete curb?

Response:

This is not a sealed bid situation. The award decision will not be based on lowest price. I am concerned your company appears to be missing the intent of this RFQ, please read it carefully.

You are treating the drawings and documentation as a specification, they are not. The documents are intended to convey general information and desired outcomes. I can understand that your company and the other contractors may not be familiar with this type of contracting. What was posted was a Statement of Objectives (SOO). An SOO is not a specification but, instead, an end result or achievement the Government wants.

The Government is giving your company general information, a desired end result, and asking each contractor to tell the Government how your company will achieve that end result. In essence, your company is writing the specification and telling the Government in your quote how you intend to meet your specification, why your company is recommending these processes, methods, materials, and the quality checks involved in your quote; how much it will cost; whether there is a warranty on materials and workmanship; how long is the warranty; how long it will take (days, weeks, etc.); and how you will work with the museum staff to mitigate any impact to them.

To restate, your company's quote should contain what you are recommending to the Government to achieve the SOO results (why you’re going to do it, how you will do it), what processes, methods, materials, and quality checks you will employ to achieve your stated end results, what warranty you offer (if any), how long the warranty lasts, how long it will take to finish the work, and any other information that may be helpful to the Government. The more information on explaining your work, the better.

If there are options we are not aware of or there is a potential problem area or areas that we are unaware of, please offer your solution and why you believe it should be considered by the Government. The Government considers each contractor to be enough of an expert to tell the Government what the options are and how much it will cost or what the potential problems are, why its a problem or concern, what it would take to fix it, how you would fix it, and how much it will cost. Again, the more information the better.

The Government is looking for a good quality job (both concrete work and seal coating) at a reasonable price. Tell the Government what you recommend, why your recommend it, and how you will get it done. Tell the Government what the potential problems or risks are so we are aware of them. The Government will take all options, recommendations, potential problems, risks, along with their potential costs into consideration when making the award decision. If it is determined that two or more contractors submit equal technical quotes (all things considered), price will be a determining factor.