36C78626R501200010

1. PWS 1.8.20 requires the Site Manager to be "accredited by the Landscape Contractors Association, or equivalent accreditation program, (e.g., PLANET)," and separately requires that "the Site Manager shall have experience in scope and complexity." Answer 34 directs offerors to "propose a candidate holding the NALP Landscape Industry Certified Manager credential."

Offeror intends to propose a Site Manager who previously served as Assistant Director and Grounds Maintenance Foreman at Riverside National Cemetery — the place of performance under this solicitation and the largest national cemetery in the nation — whose experience exceeds the five-year supervisory experience requirement of PWS 1.8.20 and exceeds the qualifications required to obtain the NALP Landscape Industry Certified Manager credential.

Will the Government accept documented equivalent experience in lieu of the accreditation required by PWS 1.8.20 and Answer 34?

"No. PWS paragraph 1.8.20 requires the Site Manager to possess both the minimum supervisory experience and accreditation by the Landscape Contractors Association or an equivalent accreditation program. Documented experience alone does not satisfy the accreditation requirement unless otherwise modified by amendment to the solicitation."

2. Reference: Contract Guarantee Minimum/Maximum Aggregate Value (base solicitation, p. 18); FAR 52.216-22 (DEV); Answer to Vendors' Question 9.

The solicitation states that the maximum aggregate value of the contract, inclusive of the five one-year ordering periods, shall not exceed $23,000,000.00, against a guaranteed minimum of $9,115.51.

Answer 9 states:

"Current contract value at the Riverside NC is $6,393,410.00, which equals one year's period of performance and includes identical requirements."

At the Government's stated current annual value for identical requirements, five ordering periods total $31,967,050 — $8,967,050 above the stated maximum aggregate value. Amendment 0006 further increases the stated workload, revising developed acreage, flat marker count, turf renovation square footage and annual interment volume upward from the figures in the base solicitation.

The price schedule requires monthly pricing for twelve months in each of the five ordering periods. Offerors cannot simultaneously price all sixty months consistent with the Government's stated current contract value and remain within the stated maximum aggregate value.

Please confirm:

(a) Whether the $23,000,000 maximum aggregate value remains in effect following Amendment 0006.

Answer: Yes, the estimated maximum aggregate value remains unchanged.

(b) How offerors are to reconcile that maximum with the current contract value stated in Answer 9 for identical requirements, and with the increased workload quantities published in Amendment 0006.

Answer: The estimated maximum aggregate value is just an estimate. It is the vendors’ business decision on how to price their respective proposals.

(c) How offerors are to treat the maximum aggregate value in preparing the price schedule, given that the schedule requires monthly pricing for twelve months in each of five ordering periods.

Answer: The estimated maximum aggregate value is just an estimate. It is the vendors’ business decision on how to price their respective proposals.

3.

QUESTION 3 — Topdressing Type 1: governing acreage

Reference: PWS 5.2.22.7 through 5.2.22.10 (Topdressing Type 1); PWS 5.2.21.70 through 5.2.21.74 (Core Aeration);

Attachment 5 / Technical Exhibit 5 and Attachment 3 / Technical Exhibit 3 as revised by Amendment 0006; Answers to

Vendors' Questions 10, 19, 20, 21, 22, 54 and 68.

PWS 5.2.22.9 requires Topdressing Type 1 to be applied “while core aeration holes are open,” and PWS 5.2.22.10 requires the material to be brushed “into the turf and aeration core holes.” Topdressing Type 1 is therefore coextensive with the annual core aeration: the ground topdressed is necessarily the ground aerated. Vet-Blue has no questions regarding the method, the materials, the application rate or the frequency, all of which are clearly stated and confirmed by Answer 21. The only input Vet-Blue is unable to determine is the acreage.

Amendment 0006 states that acreage six different ways:

Source Figure As characterized by the Government

Attachment 5 / TE 5, as revised by Amendment

365 acres Total Developed Cemetery

Attachment 5 / TE 5, as revised by Amendment

350 acres Irrigated Turf

Attachment 3 / TE 3, as revised by Amendment

365 acres Mowing, trimming and edging workload

Answer 54 355 acres developed; 280 acres turf “These updated values supersede the acreage, marker counts, and interment rates referenced in prior solicitations and

Q&A documents.”

Answers 19 and 20 315.8 acres “The only turf acreage provided in the solicitation and therefore the only defensible quantity for proposal or pricing purposes.”

Answers 10 and 68 315.8 acres developed; 300 acres irrigated turf “Attachment 5 figures are the official.”

Answers 19 and 20 state that core aeration applies to approximately 315.8 acres, while Answer 68 states that topdressing applies to 300 irrigated turf acres. Because PWS 5.2.22.9 and 5.2.22.10 make the two operations a single pass over the same ground, these two answers cannot both be correct. Answer 68 also cites a 300-acre figure that the revised Attachment 5, published in the same amendment, changes to 350.

Answer 22 states: “Because warm- vs. cool-season turf acreage and overseeding acreage are missing, offerors cannot compute cubic yardage or cost for Type 1 or Type 3 topdressing.” The warm-season and cool-season separation is material because PWS 5.2.22.8 requires a 90% sand / 10% reed sedge peat mix applied annually to warm-season turf, while PWS 5.2.22.9 requires clean river sand alternating with a 40:30:30 sandy loam topsoil, peat humus and compost mixture on cool-season turf. The two paragraphs specify different materials on different cycles and cannot be priced from a combined figure.

Answer 68 directs offerors to verify the turf areas on site with the COR. Vet-Blue cannot: the only site visit was held 19 August 2026, and the revised Attachment 5 figures were not published until 4 October 2026. The solicitation also routes this elsewhere — the Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Section F designates the Contracting

Officer as the point of contact for written requests for clarification, and Section G requires that all questions be addressed by amendment. A figure given to one offeror outside an amendment would not bind the Government or reach the other offerors, so Vet-Blue asks that the Contracting Officer obtain the acreage from the COR and publish it by amendment.

Please state:

(a) The single acreage subject to Topdressing Type 1 under PWS 5.2.22.7 through 5.2.22.10 and confirm that it is the same acreage subject to core aeration under PWS 5.2.21.70 through 5.2.21.74.

Answer: Yes, Topdressing Type 1 is coextensive with core aeration on the exact same turf acreage and PWS

5.2.22.10 requires brushing the material directly into the turf and open core holes.

Topdressing Type 1 under PWS 5.2.22.7 through 5.2.22.10 shall be performed on the same acreage subject to

Core Aeration under PWS 5.2.21.70 through 5.2.21.74. For proposal and performance purposes at Riverside

National Cemetery, the governing workload consists of 365 developed acres, 275 turf acres, and 7 acres of vegetation control. Topdressing Type 1 is coextensive with core aeration and is applied to the same turf acreage immediately following aeration while the core holes remain open.

(b) The acreage of established warm-season turf subject to PWS 5.2.22.8 and the acreage of established cool-season turf subject to PWS 5.2.22.9, stated separately.

Answer: Under PWS 5.2.22.8 and 5.2.22.9, Topdressing Type 1 must be applied immediately following spring aeration "while core aeration holes are open,"

The acreage subject to Topdressing Type 1 and Core Aeration consists of approximately 275 turf acres. Of this total, approximately___ acres are established warm-season turf subject to PWS 5.2.22.8 and___ acres are established cool-season turf subject to PWS 5.2.22.9. The combined warm-season and cool-season turf acreage equals the total 275 turf acres used for core aeration and Topdressing Type 1 operations.

(c) Which line of Attachment 5 as revised governs for this requirement — Total Developed Cemetery or

Irrigated Turf — and which of Answers 10, 19, 20, 54 and 68 remain in effect following Amendment 0006.

Answer: The Irrigated Turf line (350 Acres in revised Attachment 5 / 280 Turf Acres per Q54) governs turf-specific cultural operations such as core aeration, topdressing, and fertilization. The Total Developed

Cemetery line (365 Acres in revised Attachment 5 / 355 Developed Acres per Q54) governs broader site maintenance such as general mowing, trimming, and edging.

The Irrigated Turf acreage identified in revised Attachment 5 governs this requirement. Turf-specific cultural practices, including Core Aeration under PWS 5.2.21.70 through 5.2.21.74 and Topdressing Type 1 under

PWS 5.2.22.7 through 5.2.22.10, apply to the cemetery's 275 turf acres. The 365 developed acres govern overall developed cemetery maintenance activities, while the 7 acres of vegetation control areas are managed under their respective vegetation control requirements.

With the issuance of Amendment 0006, any previous responses that conflict with the revised acreage values are superseded. For purposes of proposal preparation and contract performance, offerors shall use the revised workload quantities of 365 developed acres, 275 turf acres, and 7 vegetation control acres.

Accordingly, prior answers referencing alternate acreage figures in Questions 10, 19, 20, 54, and 68 are superseded to the extent they are inconsistent with these revised quantities. The governing acreage for core aeration and Topdressing Type 1 is 275 turf acres.

4.

QUESTION 4 — Overseeding and Topdressing Type 3: when performed, and how priced

Reference: PWS 5.2.22.13 through 5.2.22.15; Answers to Vendors' Questions 22, 24 and 69.

The Performance Work Statement contains no paragraph requiring the Contractor to overseed or interseed. PWS

5.2.22.14 directs that topdressing be applied immediately after overseeding or interseeding, but the overseeding itself is not a stated Contractor task. Answer 24 confirms this:

“Because overseeding/interseeding: has no task paragraph, has no frequency, has no acreage, has no CLIN, and grass seed is ‘supply only,’ Type 3 topdressing is NOT a standard annual requirement and happens only when the COR orders overseeding/interseeding.”

Answer 22 states the same:

“Type 3 topdressing is only required when overseeding or interseeding occurs and is not an annual requirement.”

Answer 69 states the opposite — that overseeding and interseeding are “a required component of annual turf maintenance” — without identifying any PWS paragraph imposing that requirement.

The PWS states an application rate for the topdressing that follows overseeding — 0.5 cubic yards per 1,000 square feet — but states no seeding rate, species, method or frequency for the overseeding itself. The only reference to method is incidental, at PWS 5.2.22.14, which assumes “furrows from slit-seeding.”

Answer 22 also states:

“Because warm- vs. cool-season turf acreage and overseeding acreage are missing, offerors cannot compute cubic yardage or cost for Type 1 or Type 3 topdressing.”

Vet-Blue cannot include in a firm-fixed monthly price a requirement the Government states cannot be computed.

Please confirm:

(a) Overseeding and interseeding are performed only when ordered by the Contracting Officer's

Representative and are not a recurring annual Contractor requirement, consistent with Answers 22 and 24.

Answer: Topdressing Type 3 (PWS 5.2.22.13–5.2.22.15) is not a standard annual requirement; it is required only when overseeding or interseeding is ordered by the COR based on actual field conditions.

Overseeding and interseeding are performed only when specifically ordered by the Contracting Officer's

Representative (COR) based on actual field conditions and are not recurring annual Contractor requirements. Consistent with the Government's responses, Topdressing Type 3 is required only in conjunction with COR-directed overseeding or interseeding activities and is not included in the baseline annual firm-fixed-price requirements for CLIN 0001. When deemed necessary, overseeding, interseeding, and any associated Topdressing Type 3 work will be separately coordinated, authorized, and funded by the

Government.

(b) Topdressing Type 3 is required only in conjunction with COR-ordered overseeding or interseeding, and is therefore not included in the annual firm-fixed price for CLIN 0001.

Answer: Correct - Topdressing Type 3 (PWS 5.2.22.13–5.2.22.15) is required only in conjunction with COR-ordered overseeding or interseeding and is therefore not included in the baseline annual firm-fixed price for CLIN 0001.

Topdressing Type 3 is required only when overseeding or interseeding is specifically directed by the Contracting

Officer's Representative (COR). Topdressing Type 3 is not a recurring annual requirement and is not included in the annual firm-fixed-price requirements for CLIN 0001. When overseeding or interseeding is ordered based on actual field conditions, the associated Topdressing Type 3 work shall be separately coordinated, authorized, and funded by the Government.

(c)Overseeding and Topdressing Type 3, when ordered, will be separately authorized and funded, in the same manner the Government has established for non-routine irrigation work in Answers 45, 71, 72 and 90.

• Answer: As confirmed in Government Answers 22 and 24, Topdressing Type 3 is required only when overseeding or interseeding is specifically ordered by the COR based on actual field and ground conditions. Because overseeding/interseeding lacks a fixed annual acreage or separate recurring CLIN in the PWS, Type 3 topdressing is separately ordered and authorized when needed rather than included in the annual firm-fixed price for CLIN 0001.

• Funding & Authorization Mechanism: Because overseeding/interseeding has no stated annual acreage, frequency, or dedicated recurring monthly CLIN in the PWS, it cannot be calculated as part of the baseline firm-fixed monthly price. Therefore, when overseeding/interseeding and associated Type 3 topdressing are requested by the COR, they will be separately quoted, authorized, and funded.

• Alignment with Irrigation Work: This directly parallels the ordering mechanism established for non-routine/major irrigation repairs in Answers 45, 71, 72, and 90, where tasks outside the recurring firm-fixed-price scope may be quoted by the contractor. The work will be procured independently of this contract.

• Overseeding/interseeding and associated Topdressing Type 3 are not part of the recurring annual firm-fixed-price requirements. When field conditions warrant, the Contracting

Officer's Representative (COR) may direct the performance of overseeding/interseeding and the associated Topdressing Type 3 work. Such work will be separately coordinated, authorized, and funded by the Government and is not included in the baseline annual pricing for CLIN 0001. This approach is consistent with the Government's treatment of other non-routine work that is authorized separately from the recurring maintenance requirements.

(d) If the Government instead intends overseeding to be an annual Contractor requirement notwithstanding

Answers 22 and 24, issue an amendment incorporating it into the Performance Work Statement as a task paragraph stating the frequency, the annual acreage, the seed species and specification, the application rate in pounds per 1,000 square feet or per acre, the required method, the party furnishing the seed, and the CLIN under which overseeding and Topdressing Type 3 are to be priced. Please also confirm which of

Answers 22, 24 and 69 remain in effect.

Answer: Type 1 topdressing is required annually, while Type 3 topdressing occurs only upon coordination with the COR. Combining Type 1 and Type 3 topdressing is not authorized by default.

5.

QUESTION 5 — Supply-only materials: grass seed, Holganix Organic Solution, and 93% sulfuric acid

Reference: PWS 5.1; PWS 5.2.9.1; Answers to Vendors' Questions 39, 61, 64 and 94.

Four separate answers state that this requirement has been removed. Answer 94 is representative:

“this requirement in PWS 5.2.9.1 has been removed from the performance work statement.”

Two difficulties follow.

First, the requirement remains in the Performance Work Statement issued with Amendment 0006 on 4 October

2026, in two places:

• PWS 5.1 lists among the services required: “Grass Seed: Turf-Type Tall Fescue (Supply Only), Holganix

Organic Solution Bio800+Lawn and Blue Sky (Supply Only), and 93% Sulfuric Acid (Supply Only).”

• PWS 5.2.9.1 retains the clarification in full, including “Supplied by the contractor but applied exclusively by

RNC staff.”

Second, PWS 5.2.9.1 addresses only the Holganix products. It does not mention grass seed, and it does not mention 93% sulfuric acid. Both of those items appear only in the list at PWS 5.1. An answer stating that the requirement “in PWS 5.2.9.1” has been removed therefore cannot, on its face, reach either of them.

93% sulfuric acid is the clearest case. It appears nowhere in the Performance Work Statement other than the list at

PWS 5.1. No answer in Amendment 0006 addresses it, and no task paragraph states its purpose or the party responsible for applying it.

A response in the Answers to Vendors' Questions does not amend the Performance Work Statement.

Please confirm:

(a) Whether the Contractor is required to furnish Turf-Type Tall Fescue grass seed, Holganix Organic Solution

Bio800+Lawn and Blue Sky, and 93% sulfuric acid under this solicitation.

Answer: Requirements were removed from PWS. This is no longer a requirement.

(b) If not, issue an amendment deleting the three items from PWS 5.1 and deleting the supply-only clarification from PWS 5.2.9.1.

Answer: Requirements were removed from PWS. This is no longer a requirement.

(c) If so, confirm that “(Supply Only)” means the Contractor furnishes the material only and performs no application, and state for each item: the product specification or acceptable manufacturer and grade; the estimated annual quantity; the container size or packaging; the frequency with which the Government will place orders; the delivery point; and the CLIN under which it is to be priced.

Answer: Requirements were removed from PWS. This is no longer a requirement.

• Fertilizer Standard: Contractors are responsible solely for conventional contractor-applied fertilizers under

PWS 5.2.10, applying 5 to 6 pounds of actual Nitrogen per 1,000 square feet annually via split applications.

6.

QUESTION 6 — Flat marker count

Reference: Attachment 5 / Technical Exhibit 5 as revised by Amendment 0006; PWS 5.2.21.62 (Flat Marker Edging);

Answers to Vendors' Questions 14 and 54.

Amendment 0006 states the flat marker count three ways. Attachment 5 as revised states 300,000. Answer 54 states “Markers / Headstones: Approximately 360,000.” Answer 14 directs offerors to “Use the structural quantities contained in Attachment 5 (Technical Exhibit 5)” and lists “Number of headstones (196,000)” — the figure Attachment 5 carried before Amendment 0006 revised it.

Flat marker edging under PWS 5.2.21.62 is performed on a recurring cycle across every marker in the developed sections, and the marker count is its direct driver. Offerors cannot price this element on a common basis while three counts remain in effect.

Please state:

(a) The number of flat markers subject to edging and maintenance under PWS 5.2.21.62.

Answer: Attachment 5 / Technical Exhibit 5 lists 300,000 flat headstones, while Q54 cites approximately

360,000 markers/headstones. Q54 confirms that its updated figures supersede prior solicitation references

(such as the original 196,000 count). Offerors should base all labor, equipment, and edging pricing under

PWS 5.2.21.62 on these updated counts.

(b) Which of Attachment 5 as revised and Answer 54 governs, and whether Answer 14 remains in effect following Amendment 0006.

Answer: Answer 54 governs for proposal pricing, staffing, and equipment planning assumptions. While

Attachment 5 as revised lists 300,000 flat headstones, Answer 54 specifically establishes the updated governing workload figure of approximately 360,000 markers/headstones (along with 355 developed acres and 280 turf acres). Answer 54 explicitly states that its updated values "supersede the acreage, marker counts, and interment rates referenced in prior solicitations and Q&A documents" and directs offerors to base all pricing, staffing, and equipment assumptions on these updated figures to ensure consistency.

Answer 14 does NOT remain in effect following Amendment 0006 (it is superseded). Answer 14 originally instructed offerors to use the structural quantities in the pre-amendment Attachment 5, which listed

196,000 headstones. Because Answer 54 explicitly supersedes all marker counts, acreage figures, and interment rates referenced in earlier solicitations and prior Q&A documents, the 196,000 count in Answer

14 is obsolete and no longer governs.

7. Funding: The answer to Q9 states the current contract value is $6,393,410 for one year with identical requirements, while Q7 and Section 1 state a $23,000,000 maximum aggregate value for all five ordering periods (about $4.6M per year). Will the maximum aggregate value be amended to align with Q9, or should offerors price within the $23,000,000 maximum?

Answer: There is a significant difference between the current requirements and the requirements stated in solicitation 36C78626R50120.

8. Acreage: Attachment 3 states 460 maintained acres; Attachment 5 and Q10 state 315.8 developed acres (300 irrigated); Q54 states 355 developed acres and 280 turf acres. Which acreage governs mowing, trimming, edging, fertilization and aeration?

Answer:

• Mowing, Trimming & Edging: Governed by 355 Developed Acres (Q54) / 365 Developed Acres

(Attachment 5). Weekly labor and equipment planning relies on developed turf areas.

• Fertilization & Weed Control: Governed by 280 Turf Acres (Q54) / 350 Irrigated Turf Acres (Attachment 5).

• Core Aeration & Topdressing: Governed by 280 Turf Acres (Q54) / 315.8 Developed Turf Acres

(Attachment 5 / Q19, Q20).

• Landscape Buffer / Non-Irrigated Areas: 50 Acres (Attachment 5 / Q10).

• Brush Clearing Area: 605 Acres (Attachment 5 / Q12).

9. Flat markers: Attachment 5 lists 196,000 headstones; Q54 states approximately 360,000 markers. Which count should offerors use for trimming around markers each mowing cycle?

• Governing Workload Count: Question 54 explicitly establishes that the governing workload figure for markers/headstones across the cemetery is approximately 360,000.

• Government Directive: Question 54 explicitly directs that these updated values "supersede the acreage, marker counts, and interment rates referenced in prior solicitations and Q&A documents" and instructs offerors to "base all pricing, staffing, and equipment assumptions on the figures above to ensure consistency with current site conditions and Government expectations".

• Status of the 196,000 Count: The figure of 196,000 headstones represents an obsolete pre-amendment baseline from the original Attachment 5 and is superseded for proposal pricing and operational planning purposes.

10. Interments: Attachment 3 states 1,800–2,500 burials per year; Q54 states 5,000–7,000; Q17 states about 6 second interments per day; Q18 states about 126,000 sq ft of sod per year. Please confirm the annual sod quantity offerors should price and the square footage sodded per casket and per in-ground cremains interment.

• Burial Volume: Second interments average approximately 6 per day (30/week, 120/month), with total annual burials estimated between 3,250 and 6,500 (or 5,000–7,000 per Q54).

• Gravesite Sodding: Historically averages 10,500 square feet per month (approximately 126,000 sq ft per year) across newly interred and second interment gravesites. Re-sodding must be completed within 5 working days following burial.

• Large-Scale Turf Renovation: Estimated at 24,000 square feet per year (or 30,000 sq ft in Attachment 3) under CLIN 0001. The PWS does not provide a fixed per-burial square footage breakdown between casket and cremains interments.

11. Licensing: Q51 states a C-27 Landscaping Contractor license is required, while Q62 states the PWS does not explicitly require it for the prime. Must the prime hold a C-27, or may the license be held by a subcontractor performing the landscape work?

Answer: Prime vs. Subcontractor Licensing: The PWS does not explicitly require the prime contractor itself to hold a CSLB C-27 license, provided all Federal, State, County, and local licensing requirements are met. Per

FAR 9.104-4 and Q51, a C-27 license (required for landscape services $500) or pesticide business license may be held by a qualified subcontractor under a written agreement, with the prime remaining fully accountable to the Government.

12. Aquatic biologist (Q62, Q78): What license or credential satisfies "licensed aquatic biologist"? Does a Certified Lake Manager (NALMS) with a California QAL in the Aquatic category meet the requirement, or is a degreed biologist required?

Answer: PWS 1.8.18 and PWS 5.4.1.8 require a licensed aquatic biologist to create and submit the annual Pond

Management Plan. Aquatic pesticide applications must be performed by applicators licensed in the State of

California holding appropriate aquatic pest control certifications (such as QAC/QAL in the Aquatic category).

13. Licensed land surveyor: Which PWS paragraph requires a licensed land surveyor, for what tasks (e.g., marker or monument resetting), and with what estimated annual frequency? Under which CLIN should this cost be priced?

Answer: PWS 1.8.15 mandates that only licensed land surveyors are permitted to reset grid or sectional monuments disturbed during headstone raise and realignment operations. This applies specifically to monument/grid resetting associated with headstone realignment rather than routine initial marker setting.

14. Backflow testing: How many backflow assemblies require annual certified testing (Attachment 5 lists nine), and is testing priced under CLIN 0003?

Answer: Attachment 5 lists 9 backflow prevention assemblies (three 2", four 3/4", one 4", and one 8"). PWS

5.3.1.51 requires annual testing and certification by a certified backflow prevention assembly tester, with costs included under CLIN 0003 (Irrigation System Services).

15. Dumpsters and hauling: The answers state the contractor furnishes all non-trash dumpsters and hauls recyclables, green waste and spoils. Can the Government provide approximate annual volumes or pulls, and should these costs be priced under CLIN 0001 or CLIN 0006?

Answer: The Government provides one roll-off dumpster for trash only and an on-site spoils area for soil/interment spoils. The contractor is responsible for furnishing all additional dumpsters (for recyclables, green waste, and trash overflow) and maintaining commercial hauling and disposal services off-site.

Disposal and hauling costs are priced under CLIN 0006 (Trash & Debris Removal).

16. De-ionized water washing (CLIN 0007): Which structures require weekly de-ionized-water washing, and is a water source available on site?

Answer: WS 5.7.15.8 requires weekly pressure washing of all hard surfaces (granite and concrete walkways) within the Medal of Honor (MOH) Memorial area (from the roadway curb to the reflection pool) using de-ionized water, followed by hand-wiping granite dry to a spot-free finish.

Water & Equipment Provisions: The PWS does not state specific square footage figures for these walkway surfaces. The contractor is responsible for furnishing the de-ionized water, purification/DI equipment, storage, and transport. In-ground water sources are available on-site at designated cemetery locations.

Cleaning is priced under CLIN 0007.

17. CLIN 0008: Please confirm that, per Q92, the pool pump itself is not replaced, and that CLIN 0008 has no technical evaluation factor but is included in the total evaluated price. Is routine maintenance of the Medal of Honor reflection pool (currently performed by others) outside this contract?

Answer: CLIN 0008 covers specific one-time corrective upgrades in the MOH pool pump room (installing a water softener tank, replacing time clocks, auto-fill control board, auto-fill sensor, HOA switches, and anemometer). It does not require replacing the pool pump itself. Routine ongoing operation, cleaning, water treatment, and pump maintenance for the MOH reflection pool fall under PWS 5.4 (Pond Services) and are priced under CLIN 0004.

18. Please confirm SCA WD 2015-5629 Rev. 31 applies at award, and whether option-year prices will be adjusted under FAR 52.222-43 for wage determination revisions or should include escalation.

Answer: Revision 31 applies at award until another revision applies on the anniversary of date of the contract’s award (i.e. option year execution).

19. With proposals due October 27 and a base period starting December 1, 2026, what is the anticipated award date, and what phase-in activities (badging, site access, equipment staging) will be permitted before performance start?

Answer: This date could be adjusted again depending on the post solicitation evaluation. Services performed by the incumbent (If not successful offeror), will be extended as such to allow the successful offeror to phase-in.

20. Can the Government provide the current contractor's staffing levels by labor category, the equipment used on site, and the facilities (storage yard, office, parking, staging areas) that will remain available to the successor contractor?

Answer: No.

21. Should turf herbicide application be priced under CLIN 0001 (Turf) or CLIN 0002 (Pest Control)?

Answer: Turf weed control and herbicide applications fall under PWS 5.2 (Turf Maintenance – Pest Control) and are priced under CLIN 0002 (Pest Control).

22. Will the Government consider the past performance of proposed subcontractors and key personnel, and how will offerors with limited relevant past performance be rated?

Answer: Please review the instructions to offerors.

23. Do resumes, letters of commitment, and quality control or management plans count toward the per-subfactor page limits?

Answer: Yes, required plans count toward the per-subfactor page limits if they are required under that specific subfactor.

24. For the limitation on subcontracting (VAAR 852.219-75), please confirm compliance is measured on amounts paid to subcontractors that are not similarly situated, and that work by a similarly situated SDVOSB subcontractor counts toward the prime's share.

Answer: I am confirming that compliance is measured on amounts paid to subcontractors that are not similarly situated, and that work by a similarly situated SDVOSB subcontractor counts toward the prime's share.

25. Please share the prior award amount for this contract.

Answer: $6,393,410, which for a one-year bridge contract.

26. Turf Invertebrate Broadcast Treatment - Pricing Basis Amendment 0006 | PWS §§5.2.21.9–5.2.21.14 | Government Q&A No. 54 PWS §5.2.21.12 requires broadcast treatment of turf areas for invertebrate pests in accordance with the approved treatment schedule and states that application frequency shall follow the manufacturer’s printed instructions for the target pest species. Amendment 0006 Q&A No. 54 establishes 280 turf acres as the governing turf workload for pricing.

For purposes of establishing a consistent firm-fixed-price basis, please clarify whether each required broadcast invertebrate treatment should be priced as an application to all 280 turf acres or only to turf areas where target invertebrate pests are identified.

Answer: PWS 5.2.21.12 requires broadcast treatment of turf for invertebrate pests in accordance with approved schedules and manufacturer label instructions across the governing turf acreage (280 turf acres /

315.8–350 acres per Attachment 5). Invertebrate pest control utilizes insecticides or appropriate labeled pesticides; spot applications occur monthly or as needed.

If treatment is limited to affected areas, please provide the estimated treated acreage offerors should assume for pricing.

• Answer: Each required broadcast invertebrate treatment should be priced for the entire governing turf area.

o PWS 5.2.21.12 mandates a "broadcast application... effective in the control of invertebrate pest species present on the cemetery" across the turf areas.

o Amendment 0006 explicitly established 365 Turf Acres as the governing workload figure for proposal pricing, directing offerors to "base all pricing, staffing, and equipment assumptions on the figures above to ensure consistency with current site conditions and Government expectations".

• Broadcast vs. Spot Treatment Distinction: Broadcast treatments cover the full 365 turf acres to establish baseline pest suppression, whereas localized pest nests or isolated outbreaks are addressed separately via monthly or as-needed spot applications under PWS 5.2.21.12.

Please also provide the number of annual broadcast applications, or other Government-established treatment assumption, that all offerors should use for pricing when actual frequency will depend upon the target pest and manufacturer’s label instructions.

• Answer: PWS 5.2.21.12 dictates that the application frequency for broadcast invertebrate treatments shall follow the manufacturer’s printed instructions for the target pest species to maintain an acceptable control level of 90% pest elimination.

• Because the PWS does not state a fixed numeric cap for invertebrate broadcast cycles, offerors typically model their firm-fixed-price baseline on seasonal broadcast applications (such as spring and fall applications, mirroring general turf broadcast pest/weed schedules in PWS 5.2.21.247), supplemented by monthly/as-needed spot treatments to maintain the 90% elimination standard year-round.

27. Historical Vertebrate and Specialty Pest Workload Amendment 0006 | PWS §§5.2.21.1–5.2.21.16 To assist offerors in establishing a reasonable firm-fixed-price workload, please provide any available historical annual workload for:

(a) vertebrate trapping/control events, including gophers, ground squirrels and other target species;

(b) goose-control activity; and

(c) North American honeybee live-trapping/relocation events.

If historical records are unavailable, please provide the Government’s estimated annual quantities or workload assumptions offerors should use for pricing.

Vertebrate Control: Year-round trapping and control (gophers, ground squirrels, etc.) must maintain an acceptable control level of 90% pest elimination [253–256]. Initial inspection occurs within 10 days of award, with baiting/traps set within 15 days.

Goose Control: Methods include spring grid wires over ponds, repellents, supervised dogs, and predator decoys in compliance with U.S. Fish and Wildlife and State Fish and Game regulations.

Bee Relocation: North American honeybees must be live-trapped and relocated by a qualified specialist in beekeeping.

28. North American Honeybee Relocation - Qualification Requirement Amendment 0006 | PWS §5.2.21.16 PWS §5.2.21.16 requires North American honeybees to be live trapped and relocated by a “specialist in bee keeping.”

Please clarify the qualifications and documentation the Government will accept to satisfy this requirement. Is documented experience performing live honeybee removal and relocation sufficient, or is a specific license, certification, registration, or other credential required?

• PWS Requirement: Under PWS 5.2.21.16, North American honeybees must be live-trapped and relocated by a "specialist in bee keeping".

• Qualifications & Licensing Requirements:

o The PWS requires the live trapping and relocation of honeybees to be performed by a qualified beekeeping specialist.

o While documented experience as a professional beekeeping specialist satisfies the PWS task requirement, the prime contractor and any utilized subcontractor remain fully responsible for complying with all applicable Federal, State of California, Riverside County, and local licensing, certification, and registration requirements.

o If chemical products, sedatives, or regulated pest-control methods are used during removal or relocation, personnel must hold valid California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) applicator credentials (e.g., QAC/QAL) and Riverside County Agricultural Commissioner registrations.

o If animal trapping regulations apply under California Fish and Game code, trapping must be conducted by licensed professionals permitted to handle and relocate the target species.

29. Goose Control - Capture/Removal and Permit Responsibility Amendment 0006 | PWS §§5.2.21.3 and 5.2.21.8 PWS §5.2.21.8 identifies goose-control methods including temporary grid wires, repellents, supervised dogs and predator decoys, while §5.2.21.3 requires compliance with applicable U.S. Fish and Wildlife laws and State Fish and Game requirements for trapping, disposal and relocation of vertebrate pests.

Please clarify whether the firm-fixed-price goose-control requirement is limited to deterrence/control methods such as those identified in §5.2.21.8, or whether the Contractor may also be required to capture, remove or relocate geese.

If capture, removal or relocation may be required, please confirm whether Riverside National Cemetery currently holds any applicable Federal or State permits/authorizations under which the Contractor may perform such work, or whether the Contractor is responsible for obtaining the required permits and authorizations.

• Answer: Contractor Responsibility: The PWS establishes that the contractor (and any specialized subcontractors utilized) is responsible for obtaining and maintaining all necessary licenses, permits, and regulatory authorizations required for wildlife handling, trapping, or relocation.

• Regulatory Compliance: All trapping and relocation must be performed by licensed professionals permitted to handle target species while fully complying with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service laws and

California State Fish and Game Code requirements.

• Cemetery Permit Status: The PWS and solicitation exhibits do not state that Riverside National Cemetery holds master federal or state wildlife handling permits for contractor use; under PWS 4.1 and PWS 5.2.21, the contractor must furnish all permits and transportation necessary to perform vertebrate pest and wildlife management requirements.

30. Granular Herbicide vs. Insecticide for Invertebrate Pests Amendment 0006 | PWS §§5.2.21.10–5.2.21.12 PWS §5.2.21.12 requires a broadcast application of “granular herbicide” effective in controlling invertebrate pest species, while PWS §5.2.21.10 identifies insecticides, biological controls, or other effective methods for invertebrate pest control. Please confirm whether “granular herbicide” in §5.2.21.12 is intended to mean a granular insecticide or another pesticide labeled for the target invertebrate pest, and whether the Government will correct the terminology in the PWS.

• Answer: The phrase "granular herbicide" in PWS 5.2.21.12 represents an typo error in the PWS.

Herbicides are formulated to control weeds and undesirable vegetation, whereas invertebrate turf pests

(e.g., grubs, ants, crane flies, mosquitoes, bees, wasps, and spiders) are controlled using granular insecticides, biological controls, or other labeled invertebrate pesticides as explicitly specified in PWS

5.2.21.10.

• Intent of the Requirement: The PWS intends for contractors to perform a broadcast application of a granular insecticide (or an EPA-registered pesticide labeled specifically for target invertebrate pest species) in accordance with the manufacturer's printed instructions and the approved treatment schedule.

CLIN 0003 - IRRIGATION / FILTRATION

31. Filtration-System Qualifications - Proposal Documentation

Amendment 0006 | PWS §5.3.1.44 | Technical Evaluation Subfactor 1c PWS §5.3.1.44 requires documentation of an authorized filtration-system service provider before contract initiation, while Technical Evaluation Subfactor 1c requires offerors to demonstrate qualified technicians in their technical proposals.

Please clarify what specific qualifications and supporting documentation must be included with the technical proposal and what documentation may be submitted prior to contract initiation.

Answer: Per PWS 5.3.1.44 / PWS 5.3.1.310, the contractor must be an authorized service provider of the installed filtration system and submit documentation/certificates to the COR prior to contract initiation.

Technicians servicing irrigation pump stations must possess manufacturer certification or at least 5 years of experience servicing those specific pump units.

32. Contract ceiling vs. current contract value. The solicitation states a maximum aggregate value of $23,000,000 across the base and four option periods. Amendment 0006, Question 9, states the current contract value is $6,393,410.00 for one year with identical requirements, which is about $32,000,000 over five years. Please confirm:

a. Will proposals with a total evaluated price above $23,000,000 be considered for award?

Answer: The $6,393,410.00 was based on a current, one-year bridge contract that has a slightly different scope of work. The $23,000,000 is a valid estimate.

b. Will the Government raise the maximum aggregate value to reflect the current annual contract value?

Answer: No.

c. If neither, what base-period funding level should offerors price against?

Answer: Please review the solicitation in its entirety and provide your proposal.

33. Site plan. Amendment 0006, Question 13, states the only map in the solicitation is the public visitor map.

Please provide a scaled site plan, or any available plan, showing the 315.8 acres of developed turf subject to core aeration and topdressing, irrigated vs. non-irrigated turf, the 50-acre buffer, and the 605-acre brush clearing area.

Answer: The solicitation includes only the public visitor map (Attachment 4). Scaled CAD or GIS site plans are not provided in the solicitation package; offerors rely on the official acreage and structural counts in

Attachment 5

34. Governing acreage. Amendment 0006 gives several figures: 315.8 developed acres (Question 10), 355 developed acres and 280 turf acres (Question 54), and 365 acres for mowing and pest/weed control

(revised Technical Exhibit 3).

Please state which acreage governs for:

(a) mowing, Answer: 355 developed acres

(b) fertilization and weed control, and (c) core aeration and topdressing.

35. Overseeding. Question 69 confirms overseeding/interseeding is required annually but gives no quantity.

Please state the approximate acres or square feet to be overseeded each year.

Answer: The PWS and solicitation documents do not state a specific acreage or square footage quantity for annual overseeding/interseeding.

36. Topdressing split. Please state the approximate acres of warm-season turf (Type 1, 90/10 mix) vs. cool-season turf (clean river sand alternating with the 40:30:30 mix) to be topdressed each year.

• Answer: The solicitation does not state or separate the approximate acreage breakdown between warm-season turf and cool-season turf.

• Under PWS 5.2.22.8, warm-season turf requires annual topdressing with a 90% sand / 10% reed sedge peat mix, whereas PWS 5.2.22.9 requires cool-season turf to be topdressed alternating between clean river sand and a 40:30:30 topsoil/peat/compost mix. However, Government Answer 68 explicitly confirms that the overall turf acreage in Attachment 5 is not separated between cool-season and warm-season turf, directing offerors to verify the applicable turf proportions on-site with the COR.

37. Non-irrigated turf. For the 50 acres of non-irrigated buffer turf, please state the required number of fertilizer and weed control applications per year, if any.

Answer: The 50-acre non-irrigated landscape buffer is maintained primarily via mowing/brush clearing to a height of 4 to 6 inches and weed control. Core aeration and intensive turf fertilization do not apply to buffer areas.

38. Central irrigation control. Is the WeatherTRAK (or other central control) subscription for the cemetery's irrigation controllers paid by the Government or by the contractor?

Answer: The cemetery. It utilizes a WeatherTRAK / Motorola central control system. Routine irrigation system maintenance and minor repairs are included under monthly CLIN 0003 payments. Major mainline/controller construction work or capital replacements are outside routine maintenance.

If by the contractor, please provide the number of controllers and their model or serial numbers.

Answer: By the cemetery.

39. Invoicing. Will the Government accept invoices twice monthly, or only monthly in arrears after the full month of service is complete?

Answer: After the full month of service is completed and received/confirmed.

40. Per first set of questions and answers

(56.) Soil reports. In the prior procurement the Government agreed to share the most recent soils report.

Please post the latest soil test reports as an attachment so all offerors can price amendments from the same baseline.

“Answer: Previous soil-test reports are not included in the PWS. Offerors requiring prior soil-test information should request it from the COR. The Contractor is required to perform soil testing during the base year and annually thereafter in accordance with PWS 5.2.11.”

QUESTION: How do we request the previous soil test from the COR?

Answer: Historical soil test reports are not attached to the PWS but may be requested directly from the COR.

The contractor performs soil testing during the base year and annually thereafter under PWS 5.2.11.

Amendment 0007 reopened the solicitation to additional vendor questions arising from the revised Performance Work

Statement published under Amendment 0006.

# Subject Why it matters

1 Weekly de-ionized water pressure washing — area subject to the requirement

A weekly recurring task with no stated quantity.

The Government assigns the Contractor the full burden of producing, storing, transporting and applying the water but declines to state the square footage to be washed. Cannot be priced as written.

2 California contractor licensing — CSLB C-27 Amendment 0006 answers the same question two ways. A C-27 requires four years of journey-level experience and cannot be obtained before award, so this is an eligibility and teaming question, not a paperwork question.

# Subject Why it matters

3 Key personnel — evaluation placement and page limit The Government states the Site Manager resume is evaluated under a Factor 1 subfactor that does not exist in the Instructions to Offerors. No volume, no page limit, no evaluation standard.

Submitted to Ralph Crum, Contracting Officer — Ralph.Crum@va.gov

Questions due 13 October 2026, 17:00 PST (Amendment 0007)

Proposals due 27 October 2026, 17:00 PST (Amendment 0007)

Previously submitted Six questions remain open: Topdressing Type 1 acreage; Overseeding and Topdressing Type 3;

Supply-only materials; Flat marker count; Maximum aggregate value; Site Manager accreditation.

41.

QUESTION 41 — Weekly de-ionized water pressure washing: area subject to the requirement

Reference: PWS 5.7.15.8; PWS 5.7.15.2; Answer to Vendors’ Question 84.

PWS 5.7.15.8 requires the Contractor, weekly, to “Pressure wash all hard surfaces (Granite and Concrete

Walkways) within the memorial area with de-ionized water using proper settings,” and to wipe granite dry to a spot-free finish. PWS 5.7.15.2 bounds the memorial area as running from the roadway curb to the reflection pool.

Vendor asked for the square footage subject to this requirement and for the Government’s expectations as to the source of the de-ionized water. Answer 84 states:

“The PWS does not provide an approximate square footage for the granite and concrete walkway areas subject to weekly de-ionized-water pressure washing. The Contractor is responsible for providing the de-ionized water and the equipment necessary to produce, store, transport, and apply the water for the required cleaning.”

The answer assigns the Contractor the full burden of producing, storing, transporting and applying the water while declining to state the quantity of surface to be washed. The two cannot be reconciled in a firm-fixed price.

De-ionized water is not a minor consumable at this scale. Pressure-washing equipment consumes water at several gallons per minute, and the water must be purified before use. The capital equipment required — reverse-osmosis pre-treatment and de-ionizing resin — is sized directly from the gallons consumed per cleaning event, and the gallons consumed are a direct function of the square footage washed. Local feedwater quality compounds this:

Riverside Public Utilities reports an average total dissolved solids of 357 mg/L, which materially accelerates de-ionizing resin consumption and therefore the recurring cost. Without the area, Vet-Blue can neither size the treatment equipment nor forecast the resin consumed across fifty-two weekly events per period.

This is the only recurring weekly task in the Performance Work Statement for which the Government has declined to state a quantity.

Please state:

(a) The approximate square footage of granite and concrete walkway surface within the memorial area subject to weekly pressure washing under PWS 5.7.15.8, and separately the square footage of granite surface subject to the hand cleaning and drying required by PWS 5.7.15.3 and 5.7.15.8.

Answer: The PWS and Technical Exhibits do not state an approximate square footage for the granite and concrete walkway surfaces or a separate square footage for the granite surfaces subject to hand cleaning and drying.

(b) Whether a potable water source and a point of connection are available within the memorial area for the

Contractor to use in producing the de-ionized water, or whether the Contractor is to…