36C24818Q0857-002.pdf

VENDOR QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (Q&As)

Fountain Cleaning & Aeration Maintenance

The following questions were asked of the Government relating to the subject requirement which are hereby posted and responded to.

Q&As:

(1) Question: It was stated during the site survey, that the lake should be dyed in the summer months, there was only one type of lake dye that was authorized at this facility. What is the dye that is authorized, how much should be applied, and how often?

Answer: See section 4, paragraph 2 of the Statement of Work (SOW), which states “When performing weed and algae control, the Contractor will spray or use dyeing agents to control and/or to deter unwanted growth in accordance with local /state and federal guidelines.”

(2) Question: It is my understanding that the two Vertex Fountain Systems were initially installed in

2009. Neither system is still under warranty. They are well beyond their useful service life, no maintenance records exist.

(a) Please describe any annual maintenance associated with the fountains?

(b) Any plans to replace or update this equipment?

Answers

(a) See section 6; paragraph 1 of the SOW, which provides the monthly and biweekly maintenance schedule and also states “All maintenance shall be in accordance with the owner, service and repair manuals.”

(b) See page 1, paragraph 5 of the SOW that now states “This is an all-inclusive maintenance plan that covers all equipment, parts, and services. Contractors may maintain the current floating fountains and aeration system or chose to provide pricing for the installation of brand name or equal systems, as part of their initial quote. If the contractor chooses to replace the current system with a new brand name or equal system after contract award, they will do so at no additional cost to the Government.”

(3) Question: The contractor is required to provide replacement equipment during the time that the

Vertex fountains would be down or deemed inoperable.

(a) Give me a general idea of the loaned equipment, that I would provide, for how long?

(b) If the original equipment from 2009 is not deemed non repairable, how long will the contractor have to provide loaned equipment?

(a) See section 6; paragraph 1 of SOW states “The Contractor, if required, and available to the

Contactor, will furnish a loan of the same type of equipment, without additional cost to the

Government. Loaned equipment must be equal to or superior to equipment removed from the premises.” The equipment would need to be provided right away and remain in place until repairs are completed to ensure the continued health of the lake.

(b) See page 1, paragraph 5 of the SOW that now states “This is an all-inclusive maintenance plan that covers all equipment, parts, and services. Contractors may maintain the current floating fountains and aeration system or chose to provide pricing for the installation of brand name or equal systems, as part of their initial quote. If the contractor chooses to replace the current system with a new brand name or equal system after contract award, they will do so at no additional cost to the Government.”

(4) Question: Once again original equipment installed in 2009 no maintenance records exist.

Vertex aeration maintenance

(a) Please describe any quarterly maintenance?

(b) The question of loaned equipment?

(a) See section 6; paragraph 1 of the SOW which covers maintenance.

(b) See section 6; paragraph 1 of SOW states “The Contractor, if required, and available to the

Contactor, will furnish a loan of the same type of equipment, without additional cost to the

Government. Loaned equipment must be equal to or superior to equipment removed from the premises.” The equipment would need to be provided right away and remain in place until repairs are completed to ensure the continued health of the lake.

(5) Question: There was reference to pond skimming.

(a) What type of device is this.

(b) How often will this unit be operated?

(a) See section 4; paragraph 2 of the SOW, which states “The contractor will utilize a pond skimmer device for the removal of floating debris, filamentous algae, duckweed, leaves and dead vegetation. This operation will be conducted a minimum of 8 times a year from March through

October and more if needed or determined by the Contracting Officer or the COR Designee. The contractor is responsible for the removal and disposal of waste from the VAHCS property IAW

State and local laws at no added expense to the Government.”

(b) See answer (a) above.

(6) Question: There was reference to the contractor was responsible for lighting. Please expound on this responsibility, what type of lighting, what type of bulbs.

Answer: See section 6; paragraph 2 of the SOW. Any lighting that is part of the equipment is covered by this maintenance plan and will be replaced at no cost to the Government.

(7) Question: It is my understanding that the entire campus is being irritated from this lake.

We were told that the lake has been treated by different companies. Can the last two years of treatment records be provided?

Answer: NO

(8) Question: Since the grass carp stocking and permitting and the catfish and bream re-stocking are "as deemed necessary at this time", it will be difficult to determine what the quantities will be in advance.

Can this cost be determined at the time of need instead of included in this RFQ (i.e. via the issuance of a future Task Order) or on a per stocking basis? Or is there a recommended/standard amount already in place that can be specified so that everyone is quoting on the same requirement?

Answer: See section 7; paragraph 1 of the SOW, which states “The size and depth of the lake will determine the quantities, size and variety of fish to be stocked. Restocking of the lake will be determined by the attributes of the lake but no less than twice per year.” Note this will be a Fixed Firm Priced contract and the contractor is the technical expert who shall ensure stocking of the lake is adequate to maintain its health.

(9) Question: Please specify the brand/type of pond dye that is acceptable for used.

Answer: See answer to question 1 above.

(10) Question: “Bottom aeration will be cleaned quarterly to include any preventative maintenance to assure longevity of the system.” Does this include the replacement of air filters, cooling fans & piston replacement kits?

Answer: Yes, see page 1, paragraph 5 of the SOW that now states “This is an all-inclusive maintenance plan that covers all equipment, parts, and services. Contractors may maintain the current floating fountains and aeration system or chose to provide pricing for the installation of brand name or equal systems, as part of their initial quote. If the contractor chooses to replace the current system with a new brand name or equal system after contract award, they will do so at no additional cost to the Government.”

(11) Question: We would also like to request that the sign in sheet from the site visit be posted.

Answer: The sign-in sheet cannot be provided at this time as the attendees did not provide expressed permission to provide their information. Note that contractors were able to introduce themselves and obtain contact information directly from other vendors at time of the site-visit.