36C24720Q0076-0004000.docx

5. PROJECT NUMBER (if applicable)

CODE

7. ADMINISTERED BY

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER

CODE

6. ISSUED BY

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NUMBER

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED

PAGE OF PAGES

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED

BPA NO.

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

FACILITY CODE

CODE

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

E. IMPORTANT:

is extended,

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning __________ copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

(REV. 11/2016)

is required to sign this document and return ___________ copies to the issuing office.

is not, A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

15C. DATE SIGNED

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER

Contractor

16C. DATE SIGNED

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

STANDARD FORM 30

PREVIOUS EDITION NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.243 (Type or print) (Type or print) (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

(Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code) (If other than Item 6) (Specify type of modification and authority) (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.)

(If required)

(SEE ITEM 11)

(SEE ITEM 13)

(X)

CHECK

ONE

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer) N/A Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 7 Network Contracting Office LaVista Business Park - Bldg A 2008 Weems Road Tucker

GA

30084 Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 7 Network Contracting Office LaVista Business Park - Bldg A 2008 Weems Road Tucker

GA

30084 To all Offerors/Bidders

36C24720Q0076 03-24-2020

X X X

March 25, 2020 at 1:00 PM EST X This amendment is to do the following:

(1) Provide responses to questions received (see attached)

(2) Extend the solicitation end date from 3/24/2020 to 3/25/2020 at 1:00 PM EST.

(3) All Other Terms and Conditions will remain the same.

James Boles Contracting Officer

CONTINUATION PAGE

QUESTIONS SOLICITATION #36C24720Q0076

WASTE DISPOSAL SERVICE FOR ATLANTA VA MEDICAL CENTER

1. On page 2 of 9 of Amendment 1 Section A. General, the Government notes a Base Year service period of performance of April 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020. That is a 6-month base year.

Would the Government consider adjusting the Base Year to a normal period of 12 months with a Start date of April 1, 2020 and an end date of March 31, 2021?

The Period of Performance will remain unchanged.

There is considerable precedence throughout VA contracting to allow for service contracts to follow a calendar other than the Governments Fiscal Calendar.

2. On page 2 of 9 of Amendment 1 Section A. General, the Government notes that “Contractor will be responsible for transporting general waste that must be incinerated. There are also needles and red boxes which must be transported.”

There is no requirement for incineration for any of the solid waste or recycling removed from any of the Atlanta VA properties.

Is the Government now requiring incineration as the disposal method?

NO

Are the “needles and red boxes” referred to here a potential copy and paste from a medical waste solicitation?

NO

Are the “needles and red boxes” referred to here ones that are treated in the Sanipak and therefore considered general waste by the state of Georgia and therefore able to be transported as general waste to a landfill without need for incineration?

They have to go through San-I-Pak First

Which “separate sites” has the VA found as acceptable for the needles and red boxes if this requirement somehow remains as part of this solicitation? BJ Transfer Station 6461 Corley Rd Norcross GA. 30071 #770-448-3997

3. On page 2 of 9 of Amendment 1 Section B. Work Hours, the Government notes the following: “generally be performed during normal business hours, 5:00am-8:00pm, Monday-Saturday.”

Will the Government please adjust the statement, “generally be performed during normal business hours, 5:00am-8:00pm, Monday-Saturday. “, to read, “generally be performed during normal business hours, 5:00am-8:00pm, Monday-Friday.” as that is the general service schedule and the addition of a weekend driver employee would be a significant burden to any contractor responding to this solicitation?

The hours required will not change and will remain 5:00am-8:00pm, Monday-Saturday

4. On page 2 of 9 of Amendment 1 Section A. General, the Government notes that “Contractor will utilize landfills within the industry that transforms waste to clean, renewable energy.”

Is the VA now requiring that only Waste to Energy Disposal Sites be utilized? If so, which sites has the VA identified as acceptable Waste to Energy Disposal Sites?

No

Does the VA require landfill disposal, waste to energy landfill disposal, incineration, or other specific disposal methods?

No, a Landfill is sufficient

The conflicting and ambiguous information regarding disposal requirements does not allow for an interested firm to fully understand the requirement and therefore the costs associated with providing the requirements.

5. On page 2 of 9 of Amendment 1 Section C. Specific Tasks, the Government notes the following: “Ft. McPherson - One (1) 8yd Recycling hauled once a week”

Would the Government please remove “FEL” from the sentence and replace with the word “container”?

The statement will be revised to reflect the requested word change (see below)

· Ft. McPherson - One (1) 8yd Recycling FEL hauled once a week There are multiple types of containers that can provide this service. The term “FEL” is restrictive to the type of container and would eb the only FEL container on the contract therefore adding the need to utilize an FEL truck which costs nearly $280,000.00 brand new. A switch to utilizing the word “container” would allow for any chosen contractor to determine the most cost-effective method to meet the size requirement without forcing such a significant financial burden on the contract.

6. On page 3 of 9 of Amendment 1 Section E. Training Required by The Contractor, the Government notes the following: “The driver is required to possess a DOT license to transport hazardous and non-hazardous waste while driving at all times.

“When the San-I-Pak is Down, and operators have to Box up the sharp containers a red Bags and haul them off that is when the driver is required to possess a DOT license

Why is the Government restricting competition and responses to only companies that also possess “hazardous” DOT licenses when no waste that is transported as part of this solicitation is considered “hazardous” in accordance with the regulations of the State of Georgia?

No, you do not have to have a hazardous” DOT licenses to haul Non- hazardous” but if hauling hazardous box only (in the event of the Sani-Pak being down)

7. On page 4 of 9 of Amendment 1 Section F. Quality Assurance/Control, the Government notes the following: “Performance Standard, Completes scheduled services on time.”

It is extremely important that the Government realize that multiple times there has been a delay to service because of blocked access to the containers due to both Government and Construction Contractor vehicles acting as obstacles to safe access for the waste truck that is utilized.

Will the government adjust the language of “Completes scheduled services on time” to “Completes scheduled services on time when there was no outside cause for delay such as obstruction of access due to actions outside of the waste contractor control”?

No

An adjustment to the language in some form is an absolute necessity as the punishment of 5% of the total monthly amount is significant.

8. On page 5 of 9 of Amendment 1 Appendix A, the Government notes the following: “Addresses of hazardous and non-hazardous waste pickup location:”

Since there is no hazardous waste pickup as part of this solicitation would the Government please remove that reference from the first line of Appendix A, “Addresses of hazardous”?

The requested action will be removed

“Addresses of hazardous and non-hazardous waste pickup location:”

9. At the recent National Veteran’s Small Business Engagement held a few months back by the Veteran’s Administration in Nashville Tennessee, one of the resounding messages presented by the VA was that the VA was going to move away from Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable (LPTA) as the method for evaluating awards and moving to a “Trade-Off” system where the total offering was evaluated to determine which offer was most fitting for the Government.

With a service that’s as vital as solid waste removal with a Sanipak involved is to a VA Health Care Center, why is the Government choosing to risk a low price, minimally satisfactory offer as opposed to utilizing a “trade-off” approach which would allow the Government to ultimately choose the contractor which best met the overall needs of facility?

The Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) method will remain

10. On page 8 of 9 of Amendment 1 Appendix A, Factor 1, 4(b), the Government notes the following: “(b) Professional Certifications for Waste Disposal”

Which specific “Professional Certifications for Waste Disposal” is the Government requiring?

Please provide copies of all State and Federal Certifications / Licenses required for Waste Disposal