B09_Questions_and_Answers_0001.docx

140P5123Q0010, Amendment 0001 Questions and Answers

1. Are the collections currently stored at the NPS SER or are they at the University of Alabama Moundville Facility? Both facilities are referenced and we want to insure we are planning properly.

Answer: As stated in item 1 under Purpose/Objectives, the collection is currently stored at the Southeast Regional Office in Atlanta. Address is listed as the starting location under the Work Locations heading.

2. The SOW requires that the contractor accept responsibility for insuring that the archaeological materials are intact in their boxes throughout the move process. Have the collections been inspected to insure that contents and bags are intact and do not require rebagging? What is the protocol if the contractor opens a box and determines a bag or bags have broken and the contents are loose?

Answer: All items are currently in paper bags. SERO Staff will inspect the contents of each box and complete any necessary rebagging prior to the initiation of the contract. Ideally, boxes will not opened during transport. If contractor notes loose contents, that should be reported to the government (CO and COR) immediately.

3. The contractor is responsible for sealing the bags with SERO supervision and input. Are the bags currently sealed? What space will be available at either the NPS SER or Moundville for the inspection and sealing to take place?

Answer: The SOW notes the sealing of boxes, not bags. We are leaving the type of seal open to the contractor, provided it is non-adhesive. Some may choose to crate boxes together, or use shrink wrap/poly cord strapping or other means.

4. Are there human remains in the collection?

Answer: No

5. Are there unprocessed soil samples or processed archaeobotanical materials in the collections that may be subject to USDA import inspection?

Answer: There is one box of flotation samples. To our knowledge, there are no unprocessed soil samples.

6. Item 12 under Contractor Transport states that other than for transportation laws, vehicles shall not make stops during the park to park transport. Please acknowledge that the collection will need to be loaded onto a transport vessel for delivery to San Juan and that therefore stops will be necessary during the loading and unloading.

Answer: We understand that contractors will not be able to load and unload the collections from moving vehicles. The intention of the statement is to ensure that vehicles aren’t parked in unsecured locations for long periods/overnight (like hotel parking lots if transport is happening over multiple days).

7. Can the location on SAJU where the collections will be stored be identified? Can the NPS provide some mapping/photography of the location? Can the location be accessed by vehicle?

Answer: The collections storage facility at SAJU is located in Castillo San Cristobal. The fort is located on the east side of Old San Juan. The fort is accessible by vehicle, there is an entrance gate on Avenida Luis Munoz Rivera. There is a road that leads to the rear entrance to the fort, SERO and park staff will facilitate contractor access to this entrance. There is a small flight of stairs from the road down to the rear access door (fewer than 10 steps).

8. Has the NPS assigned a financial valuation to the collections for the purposes of cargo duty and insurance?

Answer: Archeological collections are irreplaceable, but an insurance valuation should be no less than $250,000 and no more than $1,000,000. We are open to bids based on a sliding scale of insurance valuation within this range.

9. The solicitation recommends a team of five (5) people. Why is this the recommendation? The boxes are light and easy to palletize with fewer people, which would lower the cost.

Answer: The boxes may be "light" but they are full of invaluable cultural resources that are extremely fragile. We recommended a larger team figuring that more boxes could be moved carefully with more people. If the contractor feels that the work can be done safely and delicately with fewer people, that's fine. However, it should be noted in your quote.

10. Does the palletization need to occur on site, or can the boxes be picked up at origin and palletized at a warehouse?

Answer: Palletization does not need to occur on site, but we'd like the contractor to seal the boxes before shipping to a warehouse. The seal is up to the contractor but we'd recommend either poly cord strapping, shrink wrap, or another none adhesive means. There are labels written on the boxes that need to be intact, so no tape across the boxes. The products that you will be using should be annotated in your quotes.

11. The solicitation states that the boxes should be stacked no more than three (3) boxes high to prevent crushing. However, in one of the images provided, the boxes appear to be stacked six (6) high. While we can surely stack the boxes to conform with the current solicitation, the lower stacks would require more pallets thereby increasing the total volume of the shipment, and thus, increasing the cost of shipping.

Answer: The current temporary storage location is less than ideal, so if we had the space to not stack them six high, we would make that choice. Boxes must be stacked and placed very carefully so that heavier boxes are on the bottom of the stack. Since these boxes contain very fragile artifacts (glass, ceramics) we need to ensure that crushing is minimized. In our vast experience of moving archeological collections, pallets can become very unwieldy and damage is more likely when they are stacked too high.

12. Can subcontractors be used to perform any of the work described in the SoW?

Answer: Subcontractors are okay, but we would like to receive notice in order to give approval before moving forward with a given sub. Subcontractors should be listed in your quote along with resumes or past performance.

13. Is there a requirement for unpacking of the items at destination, or just delivering and placing the boxes in storage?

Answer: If boxes are palletized, we'd need the boxes to be taken off of pallets and brought into storage. All pallets or other storage furniture will need to be removed by the contractor.

14. Is there a requirement for the specific mode of transportation to final destination (i.e. air vs ocean)?

Answer: There is no requirement for air vs ocean, we leave this up to the contractor. The only requirement is that either mode of transportation maintain some level of physical security with the collections. If possible, we'd like the contractor/subcontractor to be at the receiving end of the shipment in Puerto Rico coordinating transportation to the park from airport/port.

15. What is the value of this cargo?

Answer: Archeological collections are irreplaceable, but an insurance valuation should be no less than $250,000 and no more than $1,000,000. We are open to bids based on a sliding scale of insurance valuation within this range. Quotes should annotate that amount of insurance the contractor is recommending and why.

16. Can the shipment be delivered within 2 weeks?

Answer: Not sure I understand this question. If the contractor is able to complete the delivery in less than the allotted 60 days, that's fine. If the question is asking whether the shipment can be delivered 2 weeks from right now, that's a little more questionable.

17. Are there loading decks and room to park the trailer during loading and unloading?

Answer: We'd have to know how large the trailer is to determine if it can be accommodated by the clearance in the building loading dock. There is a loading area (with about 18 ft height clearance), then a hallway to elevators. There aren't any freight elevators in the building in Atlanta. On the San Juan side, there is an open parking area at Castillo San Cristobal. The fort is accessible by vehicle, there is an entrance gate on Avenida Luis Munoz Rivera. There is a road that leads to the rear entrance to the fort, SERO and park staff will facilitate contractor access to this entrance. There is a small flight of stairs from the road down to the rear access door (fewer than 10 steps).

18. The period of performance March or April?

Answer: The period of performance will depend on timing of the award. Delivery is expected within 60 days of contract award, as stated in the SOW.

19. Can a representative from the company conduct a pre site visit if I get the bid?

Answer: Yes, we are happy to accommodate a site visit at the Atlanta office location.

20. How and when will the initial 50% be paid and when will the balance be paid?

Answer: As stated in the SOW, the initial 50% will be paid following a successful and complete pick up of the collection in Atlanta. Payment will be routed through the federal invoicing system, IPP.gov.

21. At the time of delivery will local staff unpack the shipment?

Answer: The contractor is expected to unload the shipment into the designated collections area. SERO and park staff will be there to provide directions/guidance. We do not expect the shipment to be unpacked, unless there are large shipping crates, pallets, or similar shipping furniture. Pallets, crates, and other containers will be removed by the contractor.

22. Under Selection Criteria, would my experience in shipping communication for FEMA as well as shipping fragile material from California to Florida be acceptable?

Answer: Yes

23. At the time of air cargo, would the airline security be acceptable?

Answer: Yes. We understand that the contractor cannot supervise the collection for the entirety of the trip. As long as the collection is in a secured area with limited public access, we would be comfortable with that.

24. Can you provide us with the total weight of the entire collection? we have an average but in order for us to provide an accurate quote we would need the exact weight or a number very close.

Answer: We do not have a weight of the collection. There is not a realistic way to get weights beyond the estimate provided. If the contractor would like to send a representative and their own scale/equipment up to the regional office, We would be happy to accommodate access to the collection. Contractor should provide in their quote the amount of weight they are estimating for this project.

25. When you mention unloading the collection, can you be more specific? Are we just taking the boxes into the storage facility or is there an additional step required?

Answer: The boxes will be placed in the collections storage area, I don't think there will be a need to shelve them necessarily. The government is planning to be on site with park staff to meet the contractors with the collection, so I think the inventory and shelving will be completed on our end.