36C25020Q0069-001.doc

Statement of Work Atrium Plant Maintenance Aleda E. Lutz VAMC

A. GENERAL:

Furnish all labor, supervision, materials, and equipment necessary to maintain the interior landscape in a healthy, vigorous and attractive condition in accordance with the contract specifications. Operations include cultivation, fertilization, watering, foliage cleaning, soil media replenishment, insect and disease control, clean-up/trash removal and replacement of damaged or dead plantings as requested by the Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center (VAMC). The VAMC is seeking one base year with four one-year options.

Work Hours:

1. Normal Work Hours: The service schedule will be developed between the contractor and Contractor’s Officer Representative (COR) prior to any service being performed. Generally, work will be performed during normal business hours, 8am-430pm, Monday through Friday. Plants are in an area where staff and visitors often eat lunch; work shall not be performed between the hours of 11am and 1pm.

2. National Holidays: The ten holidays observed by the Federal Government are: New Years Day, Martin Luther King’s Birthday, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day and any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a national holiday.

B. SPECIFICATIONS:

1. The contractor shall maintain the Bldg. 22 Atrium plants and guarantee the health, vigor, and appearance of all plants in the landscaped areas for the full term of the contract. Services will be provided one (1) time each week, 52 per year.

2. The contractor shall replace, throughout the term of the contract period, any plants that are dead, or are in an unhealthy or unsightly condition due to improper maintenance or any other cause due to contractor negligence. The contractor shall make replacements promptly, at no additional cost to the VAMC, with material that meets or exceeds the original contract specifications. The contractor and the COR will be responsible for identifying those plants that need replacement.

3. The contractor will notify the COR of any plants that are diseased, overgrown or have become unsuitable for the environment. These plants will be removed and replaced with a similar replacement species agreed upon between the contractor and COR. The government will be responsible for the cost of the replacement planting, these costs are excluded from this contract.

4. Contractor shall keep area clean of all trash, pruning remnants, and other maintenance debris, and shall dust and clean all planter copings at the end of each visit. Trash may be disposed of on site in receptacles designated by the COR.

5. All materials shall meet or exceed the current NALP standards for Interior Plant Specifications.

6. Plant quality and size shall be equal to, or surpassing, Foliage No. I grade as described in the Interior Plant Specifications section of A Guide to Specifications for Interior Landscaping, (current edition published by the National Association of Landscape Professionals). Plantings shall be of varieties to create an ascetically pleasing environment, consisting of different textures, species and blooms. The government reserves the right to reject any material.

7. Foliage shall be visibly free of pests and pathogens, which by their presence could induce or contribute to the decline of the plant. Plants will be removed from service immediately when pests and or pathogens are present and replaced with similar variety during next scheduled service appointment.

8. Foliage shall be reasonably free of any chlorosis, yellowing, or poor chlorophyll formation; must be turgid and substantially free of blemish resulting from mechanical, chemical, pathological, or pest-induced damage. Foliage shall be free of dust, pesticide, and waterborne residues.

9. Canes, trunks, stems and branches shall be visibly free of pests and pathogens, which could, by their presence, induce or contribute to the decline of the plants. Canes, trunks, stems and branches shall be visibly free of scars, conspicuous or not, and shall be substantially healed, providing no point of entry of deleterious pathogens or boring insects. There shall be no splitting of canes or trunks at branching points.

10. Contractor provide and replenish soil media in bedding, wood bark, moss, straw, etc. as appropriate to the species of plant areas as required through entire contract period.

11. Contractor will at each visit as necessary: check soil moisture prior to and after watering, check soil PH, turn plants according to growth and light conditions, remove old blooms, clean and shine foliage, trim and manage plants for optimal growth, apply/remove bedding materials.

12. Contractor shall have a minimum of five (5) years of commercial indoor plant maintenance experience.

C. SAFETY: The contractor shall provide fertilization and a natural and/or organic fungicide, pesticide application and control.

1. Contractor shall notify the VAMC prior to application of any pesticide or other chemical control agent. On-site water sources are not available for mixing or cleanup of pesticides. Contractor shall legally dispose of residues and pesticide wastes off site. All spraying of pesticides or chemicals shall be performed in the evening hours (after 4:30pm). All residues on the building walls, floors, seats, and other surfaces shall be cleaned before leaving the site.

2. Pesticides shall be applied only by certified application technicians. Contractor shall provide a copy of the certified application license to Contracting Officer prior to any pesticide application. Contractor shall maintain and operate all pesticide application equipment according to manufacturer's standards and instructions. Contractor shall utilize pesticides only for their labeled use and in accordance with precautions, instructions, and rates specified by the manufacturer.

3. The storage, handling, application, clean up and disposal of all pesticides, fertilizers, solvents and other controlled use materials shall be in strict conformance with all government and other applicable industry standards.

4. Use of organic alternative forms of pest control and fertilizers are highly encouraged and should be discussed with the COR prior to use.

5. Hanging plants and flowers shall be hung with chain and/wire combination to provide enough support to prevent falling. Hanging containers will be secured using provided hooks and contractor shall not alter existing or add additional without written approval from the COR.

6. Ladders shall be Type I or Type II industrial ladders and comply with all safety requirements.

D. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

1. Proposed work schedule identifying activities (foliage cleaning, watering, etc.) tentative calendar schedule and anticipated working hours.

2. Fertilization program including soil testing, product descriptions, application rates, SDS information and tentative application dates.

3. Proposed list of solvents and associated SDS information and equipment that will be used on site.

4. Pesticides shall be applied only by certified application technicians. Contractor shall provide a copy of the certified application license to Contracting Officer prior to any pesticide application.

5. Contractor shall prepare and submit to the COR a monthly maintenance log for each site visit indicating the date, the personnel who were on site, time spent, tasks completed, and record of any pesticide, fertilizer, or other treatment applications.

6. Contractor shall provide drawing depicting location, scientific name and common name of each plant serviced by this contract.

E. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED

1. Access and water sources shall be agreed upon prior to the start of work.

2. Facility has NO on-site storage available for equipment and materials. All equipment and materials must be removed at the end of each service day.

F. QUALITY ASSURANCE: The Government will inspect atrium area on a weekly basis; any noted deficiencies will be submitted to contractor at time of visit in writing.

G. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL BADGES AND PARKING:

1. The contractor shall provide the COR with a list of contractor employees expected to enter the buildings. While on VA premises, all contractor personnel shall comply with the rules, regulations, and procedures governing the conduct of personnel and the operation of the facility.

2. An access badge will be given to the contractor’s employee upon entrance into VA buildings. The contractor employee must safeguard the access badge and immediately report any lost, stolen, or destroyed badges to the COR. All contract personnel must properly display their access badges. Access badges must be worn at or above the waist (facing forward.). The contractor’s employees must return the access badge(s) to the COR or designee at the end of the service contract.

3. Access badges will be picked up at Facility Management Service, contractor check in window. Located in building 1, room B115A. During normal business hours.

4. The contractor shall be required to comply with all security policies/requirements of the Aleda E. Lutz VAMC. All security policies/requirements must be met, and employees cleared prior to the contractor performing work under this contract. Employees that cannot meet the security and clearance requirements shall not be allowed to perform work under this contract.

5. It is the responsibility of the contractor’s personnel to park in the appropriate designated parking areas. Parking information shall be coordinated with COR.

6. Aleda E. Lutz VAMCdoes not validate or make reimbursement for parking violations of the contractor’s personnel under any circumstance.

H. Interference to Normal Function: Contractor may be required to interrupt their work at anytime so as not to interfere with the normal functioning of the facility, including utility services, fire protection systems, and passage of facility patients, personnel, equipment and carts. In the event of an emergency, contractor services may be stopped and rescheduled at no additional cost to the government.

I. QUANTITIES / LOCATIONS OF PLANTS

Building 22 Atrium

Current inventory of plants

1. Hanging 12ea

2. Potted 24ea