36C25718Q9897-0003003.docx

SOLICITATION NUMBER: 36C25718Q9897 PAGE 2 OF 4

AMENDMENT NUMBER: 00001

A. This amendment forms a part of the solicitation documents and amends the project solicitation as noted below. You must submit a signed copy of this amendment with your offer. Failure to do so may subject your offer to be disqualified. Amendments to the solicitation are as follows:

1. Questions and Answers:

Question 1: On page 43 of the Solicitation under Past Performance, I could not find the Attachment 5, PPQ within the solicitation packet Answer: There is no Attachment 5 for this solicitation. The requirement for the PPQ under Factor 2: Past Performance is hereby removed from the solicitation. Furthermore, the following statement is added: “Note: Offerors with no relevant past performance history will not be evaluated Acceptable or Unacceptable on past performance and will be given a neutral rating.

Question 2: Under Selection Criteria, FACTOR 1: TECHNICAL CAPABILITY (Minimum Requirements), items C & D.

Answer: No and No. The 10 full pages limit is increased to 20.

Question 3: Schedule B Price/Cost Schedule– CLIN X007 does not have a Unit description.

Answer: The unit should be “MO”.

Question 4: Statement of Work, Page 5, Para. 2, Facility Locations. It identifies the Victoria Outpatient Clinic, Victoria, TX. This facility was removed at the onset of the last project as this facility was covered under an existing GSA contract. Has that changed?

Answer: No, The Victoria OPC is officially removed from this SOW and Solicitation.

Question 5: Is this contract also subject to Executive Order (EO) 13706, Establishing Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors?

Answer: Yes. The Executive Order applies to new contracts that are for services covered by the Service Contract Act.

Question 6: In the SOW, II General Requirements, D. It states, disposal shall be performed in such a manner as not to create conditions detrimental to public health or to constitute a public health concern for separation and preparation of waste streams for removal and disposal by contractor. This method shall also encourage recycling to the greatest extent possible. Is it the government’s intent that the contractor provide material support in achieving waste diversion goals the South Texas Veterans Health Care System will use to compete for the Practice Green Health, Green Emerald Award for Excellence? If so, please provide the target goals for each project year.

Answer: We would like the contractor to provide the equipment we need to rent, hauling of equipment, disposal of contents at applicable location and reports that identify the type of waste recycled or disposed of on which date.

Question 7: In the SOW, II General Requirements, E. It states, any reduction in the volume of waste disposed and/or an increase in items recycled are encouraged. The system and procedures must be achievable in accordance with all applicable laws, Veterans Affairs (VA) resources and in coordination with the VA internal collection system. Is it the government’s intent that the contractor provide waste diversion tonnage data broken down into the numerous commodities captured for inclusion in the Practice Green Health system?

Answer: The waste streams should be reported by type of waste disposed weight and disposition method. Types of waste will be single stream recycling material, cardboard, C&D, and solid waste.

Question 8: Related to item 7, Is it also the government’s intent that the contractor collect and segregate tonnage on waste containers?

Answer: See updated SOW. Contractor will only be providing exterior container collection. Facility will be providing interior cans and labor to collect.

Question 9: Will the government expect the Contractor to continue participating in the quarterly GEMS meetings?

Answer: No.

Question 10: In the Schedule B pricing, CLIN 0001A and 0002A and for option years. Does the government intend the contractor to provide pricing for an out of cycle dumpster pick-ups due to unforeseen surge in collected solid waste?

Answer: CLINs have changed but yes, we want to reimburse the contractor for charges due to out of cycle container pickups.

Question 11: Is there a requirement to have all personnel assigned to work on the awarded project undergo a yearly Tuberculosis exam that is reviewed by an outside accredited health facility?

Answer: No updated contract does not require contractor to enter the buildings.

Question 12: Is there a requirement that all personnel assigned to work on the awarded project attend a yearly accredited infection control training program?

Answer: Contractor must simply comply with local, state and federal requirements in relation to waste hauling.

Question 13: Will contractors be allowed to park their work vehicles in the medical center parking lots?

Answer: Updated SOW does not require contractors to park.

Question 14: PAGE 4/62. INFORMATION 1: This solicitation has a Limitations on Subcontracting Acknowledgement Form which seems to focus solely on FAR 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting. However, section B.2 of the solicitation notes the following: “this solicitation is subject to the limitation on subcontracting requirements in 13 CFR 125.6”.

Is 13 CFR 125.6 (a)(1) being utilized to assess compliance with the limitations on subcontracting? If “YES”, will the government please amend the current Limitations on Subcontracting Acknowledgement Form to also include the requirement that “(1) In the case of a contract for services (except construction), it will not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not similarly situated.”?

Answer: Yes. The Limitations on Subcontracting Acknowledgement Form is officially removed from the solicitation.

Question 15: PAGE 5,7/62. INFORMATION: Throughout this solicitation multiple acronyms are utilized to describe the South Texas Veterans Health Care System: STVHS, STXVHS, STVHCS.

What is the appropriate acronym to be utilized to describe the South Texas Veterans Health Care System?

Answer: STVHS

Question 16: PAGE 5/62. INFORMATION: Scope of Work B.2. Cardboard Bailing Units were not discussed on the site visit.

What responsibilities does the contractor have as it pertains to the cardboard bailing unit? Does the contractor have to provide one? If so, what size? If the government provides it, who is placing the cardboard in the baler? Who is operating the baler? Who is responsible for making the bales? Who provides the bailing wire? How often are bales currently removed from site? There is a significant amount of missing information to allow for a complete offer to be submitted.

Answer: Contractor provides baler at Kerrville VA Medical Center. STVHS employees will operate baler and provide baling wire. STVHS employees will place baled cardboard at designated cardboard collection site. Contractor will collect cardboard from collection site on a monthly basis.

Question 17: PAGE 6/62. INFORMATION: SOW B.5 recycle containers

Is the government or the contractor responsible for providing the recycle containers that are to be located throughout the facilities?

Answer: Government will provide containers and collection of materials throughout interior of all buildings specified in SOW.

Question 18: PAGE 7/62. INFORMATION: General requirements II.B revenue sharing. There are multiple times throughout this solicitation that revenue sharing is noted. Some areas do not clearly define the revenue sharing expected and others clearly define a 50%/50% split. This should be clarified, and a set number utilized for all recycling revenue created.

Does the set amount in V. DUMPSTERS AND COMPACTORS (I)(KC)(i) “Any dollars provided to the contractor shall be shared with the Government on a 50%/50% split.” apply to all revenue sharing/credits in connection with recycling services noted in the SOW? Does the Government expect a check to be issued or a credit to be noted and applied to the invoices? If a rebate check is expected, who is the recipient and what is the address?

Answer: All proceeds will be sent to STVHCS by certified check, money order, or wire transfer to Fund Control Point 8032 and indicate on monthly reports the waste stream(s) that resulted in a credit and the amount of credit generated by the sale of all recycled commodities.

Question 19: PAGE 8/62. INFORMATION: IV. RECYCLING (E). Section E notes multiple liners and openings as well as the separating of recyclables, but while onsite, only single compartment recycling containers were being utilized.

Does the government intend to have the contractor provide segregated recycling bins with multiple compartments, or is the current service of one container, Single Stream Recycling allowed to continue as the preferred method of recycling collection?

Answer: Single stream recycling will continue as the preferred method of recycling apart from OCC which will be baled at KC and C&D collected at ALMD. Contractor is no longer required to provide containers or liners for recycling containers within building interiors.

Question 20: PAGE 8/62. INFORMATION: IV. RECYCLING (E). Section E mentions centralized recycling locations and gives a total of 30 at ALMC, 15 at KC and 6 at Villa Serena. The consistent container that was shown at both ALMC and KW was the small green square recycling container throughout both facilities. There were a few larger blue 96-gallon toters that existed but nowhere near the 30 or 15 as noted in this section. The government is contradictory and unclear throughout this solicitation as it applies to in building recycling container size and quantity. This is a significant portion of the cost (man-hours) associated with the successful performance of this contract. It would behoove all parties to have the interested contractors provided with clearly defined container size and location throughout the respective properties.

What is the required container, size, color and location per site (ALMC,KC, Villa Serena) for the “centralized locations” as noted in IV. RECYCLING (E)?

Answer: Contractor is no longer required to provide containers or liners for recycling containers within building interiors or labor to collect recycled material within the interior of buildings.

Question 21: INFORMATION: IV. RECYCLING (F). Section F mentions that in addition to central collection sites, approximately 200 individual paper locations at ALMC, 100 individual paper locations at KC, and 20 individual paper locations at Villa Serena shall be required for pick up by the contractor in office environments at a minimum frequency of once per week. At no time in the site visit were we shown paper recycling containers being serviced in an office environment. This would be a significant additional cost as the manhours to go to 200 individual sites would add up.

What is the required container size and color for the office individual paper recycling locations per site (ALMC, KC, Villa Serena) for service noted in IV. RECYCLING (F)? Is this a new requirement?

Answer: Contractor is no longer required to provide containers or liners for recycling containers within building interiors or labor to collect recycled material within the interior of buildings to include paper locations.

Question 22: INFORMATION: IV. RECYCLING (H). There is a standard size recycling toter that is utilized at multiple other sites that is 35 gallons in size. The increase to a 35-gallon container is minimal as it pertains to footprint but is important as it pertains to options provided.

Would the government please increase the size of the recycling containers to be less than or equal to 35 gallons, as that is a standard size of recycling container utilized throughout the USA?

Answer: Contractor is no longer required to provide containers or liners for recycling containers within building interiors or labor to collect recycled material within the interior of buildings to include paper locations.

Question 23: PAGE 9/62. INFORMATION: V. DUMPSTERS AND COMPACTORS (H). There is a temporary compactor relocation service that is to take place on the same day no later than 5:00am. Since every Friday is the day that the recycling compactor is to be serviced according to the SOW, the government should note that day as the temporary relocation day as to not add additional cost for moving the container outside of a service day.

Since Friday is the scheduled service day for the recycling compactor that needs to be relocated “on scheduled day” on a bi-monthly basis, would the government commit to having that relocation schedule occur on Friday?

Answer: Container relocation, if required/requested, shall be treated and billed as an unscheduled pickup. Grease trap is located under the solid waste compactor, not the recycling compactor.

Question 24: PAGE 9/62. INFORMATION: V. DUMPSTERS AND COMPACTORS (I)(ALMC)(d,e,f,g). Section d,e,f,g mentions multiple size containers in multiple compartment configurations. The consistent container that was shown at both ALMC and KW was the small green square recycling container. The government is contradictory and unclear throughout this solicitation as it applies to in building recycling container size and quantity. This is a significant portion of the cost (man-hours) associated with the successful performance of this contract. The corresponding CLIN items (0001 including option years) should be clarified as well or eliminated if not needed after amending these requirements.

What is the required container, size, color and location (indoor, outdoor) throughout ALMC for the multiple size and style stand-alone, divided recycling containers needed for section V. DUMPSTERS AND COMPACTORS(I)(ALMC)(d,e,f,g) at ALMC?

Answer: Contractor is no longer required to provide containers or liners for recycling containers within building interiors or labor to collect recycled material within the interior of buildings to include paper locations.

Question 25: PAGE 9/62. INFORMATION: V. DUMPSTERS AND COMPACTORS (I)(ALMC)(j). Section j notes a 6yd container at the Fisher House. This was not what was seen at the site visit. Before the government decides on what they want there, they need to consider the size restrictions as well as the congestion of that area. The corresponding CLIN items (0001C including option years) should be clarified as well.

The solicitation is asking for a 6 cubic yard dumpster to be placed at the Fisher House for service on Tuesday and Thursday. However, on the site visit, a 2yd container on casters was what was present. Is the government wanting a 6yd container or a 2yd container at this site? The government should investigate whether a 6yd container fits in the enclosure and whether it can be serviced due to the congested parking in that area.

Answer: Per revised SOW, “. Historical collection frequency data is provided in table 2. However, the Contractor shall establish initial vehicle routes and collection schedules upon contract award and submitted to the Contracting Officer (CO) five (5) calendar days prior to start of contract performance. The Contractor shall submit suggested adjustments to the initial pickup schedule and any required dumpster capacity (size and number of dumpsters) to ensure all MSW and recyclable materials are collected and disposed, while avoiding dumpster/receptacle overflow utilizing the minimum number of required pickups.” The contractor is to determine the appropriate container size to reduce the number of required pickups. The only caveat to reducing the required pickups is that if intervals are decreased to the point that they provide unsanitary conditions adversely impacting pest control or emitting odor.

Question 26: PAGE 9/62. INFORMATION: V. DUMPSTERS AND COMPACTORS (I)(ALMC)(I, m). Section I, (m) mentions additional indoor containers at a number of different sites. It gives a total number of 62 for one group of buildings and another number of 73 for a different set of buildings. It however does not clarify how many individual containers will be at each building. This would make a difference as a contractor tried to plan on how much time each building would take to service on a weekly basis. The corresponding CLIN items including option years should be clarified as well.

What is the required container, size, color and location (indoor, outdoor) throughout the multiple buildings listed in V. DUMPSTERS AND COMPACTORS(I)(ALMC)(I, m)? The specific number per building would be needed to account for time on site.

Answer: Contractor is no longer required to provide containers or liners for recycling containers within building interiors or labor to collect recycled material within the interior of buildings to include paper locations.

Question 27: PAGE 9/62. INFORMATION: V. DUMPSTERS AND COMPACTORS(I)(KC)(a). Section (a) mentions what seems to be the need for the contractor to provide a 60 inch cardboard bailing unit. It mentions last pickup of the month and that is unclear whether it is the day that service is to be provided or…?

Cardboard Bailing Units were not discussed on the site visit. Is the contractor required to provide a 60-inch cardboard bailing unit at the KC or ALMC site? If the answer is yes for either location, What responsibilities does the contractor have as it pertains to the cardboard bailing unit? Do they both have to be 60-inch size? If the government provides the baler, who is placing the cardboard in the baler? Who is operating the baler? Who is responsible for making the bales? Who provides the bailing wire? How often are bales currently removed from site? There is a significant amount of missing information to allow for a complete offer to be submitted.

Answer: Contractor provides baler at Kerrville VA Medical Center. Baler should be 60”. STVHS employees will operate baler and provide baling wire. STVHS employees will place baled cardboard at designated cardboard collection site. Contractor will collect cardboard from collection site on a monthly basis.

Question 28: PAGE 9/62. INFORMATION: V. DUMPSTERS AND COMPACTORS(I)(KC)(d,e,f,g). Section d,e,f,g mentions multiple size containers in multiple compartment configurations. The consistent container that was shown at both ALMC and KW was the small green square recycling container. The government is contradictory and unclear throughout this solicitation as it applies to in building recycling container size and quantity. This is a significant portion of the cost (man-hours) associated with the successful performance of this contract. The corresponding CLIN items (0002 including option years) should be clarified as well.

What is the required container, size, color and location (indoor, outdoor) throughout KC for the multiple size and style stand-alone, divided recycling containers needed for section V. DUMPSTERS AND COMPACTORS(I)(KC)(d,e,f,g) at KC?

Answer: Contractor is no longer required to provide containers or liners for recycling containers within building interiors or labor to collect recycled material within the interior of buildings to include paper locations.

Question 29: PAGE 10/62. INFORMATION: V. DUMPSTERS AND COMPACTORS(I)(KC)(j). Section j mentions additional indoor containers at a number of different sites. It gives a total number of 205 throughout ALMC and another number of 275 for a different set of buildings. It however does not clarify how many individual containers will be at each building. This would make a difference as a contractor tried to plan on how much time each building would take to service on a weekly basis. This section alone has 475 containers as part of it. This seems much higher than any number that was mentioned as part of the site visit.

What is the required container, size, color and location throughout the multiple buildings listed in V. DUMPSTERS AND COMPACTORS(I)(KC)(j)? The specific number per building would be needed to account for time on site as well as the verification that the 475 total containers needed for those buildings is accurate.

Answer: Contractor is no longer required to provide containers or liners for recycling containers within building interiors or labor to collect recycled material within the interior of buildings to include paper locations.

Question 30: PAGE 10/62. INFORMATION: V. DUMPSTERS AND COMPACTORS(I)(KC)(L, M). Section L and M mentions recycling containers at KC. It gives a total number of 85 “stand-alone containers” and 10 “large stand-alone containers”.

What is the size requirement for a medium recycling container and a large recycling container assuming that a regular recycling container will be between the current 32 gallons and the requested 35 gallons? What is the required container color and location throughout the KC location?

Answer: Contractor is no longer required to provide containers or liners for recycling containers within building interiors or labor to collect recycled material within the interior of buildings to include paper locations.

Question 31: PAGE 10/62. INFORMATION: VII. EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE (D). As we all saw and experienced on the site visit, the compactor equipment being utilized is old, leaking, foul smelling and freshly painted. The government should absolutely require new equipment. The compactor at the KC location was inoperable for nearly 3 months. Our veterans deserve better.

Due to the unsightly condition of the current compactor equipment, is the government requiring brand new (non-refurbished) compactors to be placed at the sites or can a potential new awardee attempt to buy the existing equipment and continue to utilize them in their current condition?

Answer: To my knowledge current containers/compactors are being provided by subcontractor. We could certainly discuss next contractor utilizing existing equipment until new equipment can be delivered/installed. Government agrees that existing containers are beyond useful life and currently not meeting sanitary standards and will need to be replaced upon or shortly after contract award.

Question 32: PAGE 11/62. INFORMATION: XII. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS (B). The landfill tickets are the most reliable way for a customer to know the weight of the containers that were serviced. In order to bid this contract, any interested vendor would have to know what the weights of the containers are. It would be necessary to get an annual report of the pickup weights per pickup in an effort to see the fluctuations through the year and know what potential plans can be made to adjust accordingly.

As the disposal at the landfill is a significant portion of the cost, it is necessary for any interested vendor to know the historical tonnages to anticipate. Can the government please provide the last 12 months’ worth of weight tickets for the following containers:

Audie L. Murphy VA Medical Center (ALMC)

a. One (1) 30 cubic yard trash compactor

b. One (1) 30 cubic yard open top dumpster

c. One (1) 40 cubic yard cardboard recycle compactor

KERRVILLE VA MEDICAL CENTER (KC)

a. One (1) 20 trash compactor Answer: Provided in revised SOW.

Question 33: PAGE 14/62. INFORMATION: PRICE/COST SCHEDULE. CLIN 0001A and 0002A references an “Unscheduled Pick-up to be performed at the request of the CO/COR.” The problem is that it does not clearly define which container the unscheduled pickup is for. Each type of container should have a corresponding unscheduled pickup associated with it.

Which container is this CLIN associated with (compactor. Open top, recycling container…)? Will other containers also have a corresponding “unscheduled pickup” CLIN?

Answer: Provided in revised SOW.

Question 34: PAGE 14,15/62. INFORMATION: PRICE/COST SCHEDULE. CLIN 0001, 0002, 0003, 0004, 0005, 0006, 0007, and 0008 all reference a question regarding the size, quantity, style and location of the recycling containers. The clarifying of those questions should also lead to the clarifying of these CLINS with the potential need to add more CLINs to define the work in a clearer manner.

Will the government please ensure that the information found in CLINs 0001, 0002, 0003, 0004, 0005, 0006, 0007, and 0008 all correspond with any clarifications provided in the SOW for the base year and all option years?

Answer: Provided in revised SOW.

Question 35: PAGE 14,15/62. INFORMATION: PRICE/COST SCHEDULE. CLIN 0001, 0002, 0003, 0004, 0005, 0006, 0007, and 0008 all reference a question regarding the size, quantity, style and location of the recycling containers. The clarifying of those questions should also lead to the clarifying of these CLINS with the potential need to add more CLINs to define the work in a clearer manner.

Will the government please ensure that the information found in CLINs 0001, 0002, 0003, 0004, 0005, 0006, 0007, and 0008 all correspond with any clarifications provided in the SOW for the base year and all option years?

Answer: Provided in revised SOW.

Question 36: PAGE 43/62. INFORMATION: FACTOR 2: PAST PERFORMANCE. The solicitation references Attachment 5 – Past Performance Questionnaire but there is no Attachment 5 on the FBO posting.

Can the Government please provide a copy of the referenced Attachment 5 – Past Performance Questionnaire. Due to the incredibly busy situation that most contracting teams find themselves in, would the Government accept CPARS along with the other requested information in the solicitation in lieu of the PPQ as it will be challenging to get the PPQs done by a government agency and submitted at this time of year?

Answer: Please see the answer to question 1 above. The PPQ requirement is removed from the solicitation and the CPARS along with other requested information is acceptable.

Question 37: PAGE 43/62. INFORMATION: FACTOR 3: PRICE. The Independent Government Estimate should be based on BRAND NEW equipment. The equipment onsite does not come anywhere near meeting the requirements of this solicitation. If the government did not take that into consideration, then they will be utilizing a flawed number to evaluate the prices submitted in response to this solicitation. There is also the very obvious situation with Republic Services, A large billion dollar a year business has been providing the equipment as well as the services in connection with the hauling from the waste and recycling at all the sites from the dumpsters, open tops and compactors. They are a large business who would have most if not all of this equipment already in inventory. To not account for the purchase of new compactor, roll-off and dumpster equipment would in effect be asking the SDVOSB to provide pricing similar to that of the billion-dollar company.

Does the Independent Government Estimate account for NEW EQUIPMENT? Does the Independent Government Estimate account for an SDVOSB providing the necessary compactors, dumpsters and open top containers as part of meeting the requirements of this solicitation since the current containers are all provided by a large business?

Answer: All offerors should be providing new equipment or at minimum equipment that is painted, operational and free of defects.

Question 38: Does the following provision apply to this solicitation Subpart 22.12 Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers Under Service Contract? If it does, the government needs to understand the requirements it notes under 22.1203-4 Method of job offer. “Each bona fide express offer made to a qualified service employee on the predecessor contract must have a stated time limit of not less than 10 days for an employee response. Prior to the expiration of the 10-day period, the contractor is prohibited from offering employment on the contract to any other person,”.

Answer: Yes it does. The Government does understand the requirements stated under this Clause.

Question 39: With an anticipated award date of September 28th and a start date of October 1st, what realistic plan is the government going to implement to allow for a transition and implementation period should a new contractor be selected? Any time taken from the base year term would affect the monthly pricing for that base year. Wastequip (https://www.wastequip.com) and Marathon (https://www.marathonequipment.com) are the primary providers for compactors across the USA. They are currently on a 6-week waiting period for ordered compactors.

Answer: Should a successor contractor receive the award of the new contract; the Government will take action to extend services of the current contract for up to 6-months if necessary.

2. The offer due date remains the same.

B. ALL OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS REMAIN UNCHANGED.

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