Q_and_A_-_published_to_FBO.pdf

Questions-And-Answers Solicitation 47PF0018R0040

Operation and Maintenance at the United States Federal Building in Flint, MI and the Social Security Administration facility in Saginaw, MI

The following questions are those that were asked as part of the pre-proposal conference/site visit or submitted in writing to the Contract Specialist

Questions Submitted in Writing by Potential Offerors:

Q1. The proposal indicated 52.229-3- please confirm that all Local, State, and Federal taxes apply to this 5 year proposal

A1: Any applicable taxes need to be included in pricing proposals submitted by offerors.

(Most likely, the most applicable taxes would be in relation to the supplies/materials purchased to support the contract.) All labor taxes (FICO) are handled in accordance with Department of Labor (DOL) policy and procedures. If applicable, GSA can issue a tax exemption letter to the awardee, but, the contractor would need to reach out to the state/city revenue office to request relief. If the state/city then grants the relief GSA would need to receive a reduction in contract pricing accordingly.

Q2. Can you supply us with the existing collective bargaining agreement that was established between GSA and Advantage Mechanical-Refrigeration, Inc.?

A2: The existing collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) applicable to this procurement are located in Exhibit J19 of the published solicitation. As a clarification: GSA does not establish CBAs with our prime contractors. Rather, prime contractors establish CBAs with the Labor Unions that represent their employees. These CBAs become the basis for the Wage Determinations that apply to GSA contracts.

Q3. Can you provide the pricing outline for above standard services for existing contract?

A3: Because this information would be able to be disclosed in the event of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, this information can be provided at this time. Offerors should note that their proposals should not necessarily be based on the current pricing but rather based on the best pricing they can provide for the work requirements as published in the Solicitation and subsequent amendments. Offerors should also note that, while the current O&M contract at these locations is in many ways similar to the current Solicitation, there are differences between the two.

The currently awarded Above Standard Service line item pricing is as follows:

Location 1: Federal Building, Flint MI

● Hourly Price for Overtime Service Requested by the Government: $119.56 per Hour

● Hourly Price for Emergency Callback Service During Other than Normal Business

● Hours: $152.00 per Hour

● Hourly Price for Additional Service $85.40 per Hour

● Hourly Price for Maintenance Repair Service Between $1,000 and $10,000

$85.40 per Hour

● Non-Destructive Chiller Tube Eddy Current Analysis $5,500.00 Per Job

● Hourly Price for Maintenance Repair Service for Agency Owned Equipment

$85.40 per Hour

● Preventive Maintenance on F-34 (Wash and Relamp) - $95.00 Per Fixture

● Hourly Price for Building Management Support Services $85.40 per Hour

Location 2: Social Security Administration, Saginaw MI

● Hourly Price for Overtime Service Requested by the Government: $119.56 per Hour

● Hourly Price for Emergency Callback Service During Other than Normal Business

● Hours: $152.00 per Hour

● Hourly Price for Additional Service: $85.40 per Hour

● Hourly Price for Maintenance Repair Service Between $1,000 and $10,000:

$85.40 per Hour

● Hourly Price for Maintenance Repair Service for Agency Owned Equipment:

$85.40 per Hour

● Unit Price for Preventive Maintenance on F-34 (Wash and Relamp)*: $95.00 Per

Fixture

● Hourly Price for Building Management Support Services: $85.40 per Hour

Q4. Can you provide a current outline and approved sub-contractors, i.e. Fire Protection, Building Automation, Water Testing, and so on of all approved sub-contractors for each site?

A4: As to not imply that we endorse any particular contractor, we will not be providing this information. Our expectation is for contractors to compete their subcontracting opportunities to provide the best pricing to the Government. The awardee will have to submit their proposed sub-contractors to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for approval, along with proposed pricing where applicable.

Q5. Federal Building Flint- BAS existing Controls manufacturer is Johnson Control Metasys – is this both a non-proprietary and open protocol systems meaning are they unscrambled front end or do you need the manufacturer’s software to be able to perform the duties?

A5: The Flint building has both N2, JCI protocol that is not fully open, and the BACnet protocol. Both will require the JCI software to make program changes.

Q6. SSA Saginaw Building Site- It is a Niagara Platform Distech controls, is this also an non-proprietary and open protocol systems meaning are they unscrambled front end or do you need the manufacturer’s software to be able to perform the duties?

A6:The Saginaw building is using the BACnet open protocol but in order to do programming changes contractors will need the Distech software.

Q7. Can you provide the specifications on the individual batteries within the battery bank located in the Flint Federal Building?

A7: Please see the attached sheet.

Q8. Can you confirm controllers integrated into BAS System for both York Chillers at the Flint Federal Building?

A8: Yes, we can confirm this.

Q9. Can you confirm that the chilled water loop at the Flint Federal Building is in indeed a closed looped with glycol?

A9: A water test report provided by the current O&M dated 16 April 2018 states the Chilled water loop contains 33% Glycol.

Q10. Can you confirm what controllers are in each roof top unit at the Saginaw Federal SSA Building integrated into BAS System?

A10: The Saginaw facility has a Distech EC BOS JACE controller with the Distech controllers on each RTU.

Q11: Section C.39.2 Maintenance and Repair - The solicitation states the Contractor shall perform all architectural and structural maintenance and repairs . . . located on, within, or beneath. What does “beneath” refer to?

A11: In part, “beneath” refers to items such as sewer lines, water lines, and electrical to the parking lots. These are included as part of the contract scope.

Q12: C.8.1 minimum staffing: it was stated at the site visit that 50 percent of work must be performed directly by the contractor. Historically, about what percentage of work do the minimum staffing requirements listed in this section reflect?

A12: Roughly 85%

Q13: For bidding purposes we want to better understand the relationship between work performed by the Journeyman and other positions (if they exist) under the CBA (do the position[s] have the skill set to perform most of the tasks?) and how much work would be complemented by contractors/other staff with specialty skill sets and/or subcontractors.

A13: The current contractor employs several HVAC technicians with plumbing and small project skill sets. They also have a master plumber on staff. The repair work they have historically used sub-contractors for is electrical work (not including changing bulbs and ballasts), and window/door replacement.

Q14:, C.8.1 and Exhibit 19 Wage Determination “journeyman mechanic” both CBA’s lists multiple positions: In the interests of fairness to all offerors can the Government specify in each CBA which position and wage correspond to the current contractors CBA employee(s) at each site, please?

A14: Under the current contract, with the current employee, the CBA operates as follows: the job title under U.A. Local 370 is “B.T. Journeyman.” Under Local Union No. 174, the job title is “Journeyman.” Under Local No. 85, the job title is “Building Trades Journeyman.” The current employee resides in the geographic district covered by the Local 174 CBA. Because the employee’s home district is covered by the Local 174 CBA, the employee is paid Local 174 wages for the first 8 hours per week worked in any given district. After the first 8 hours worked in any given location, the local CBA covering the specific building would kick in. The employee under this contract also receives all fringe benefits from the Local 174 CBA (Home Jurisdiction).

Please note that any staffing changes might affect the applicability of the provided CBAs.

Q15: Completeness of submission documents: We want to be sure no management plan and/or executive summary is required, it’s not specifically listed in Section L.

A15: A separate management plan/executive summary is not required. However, the Quality Control Plan does require the listing of staffing levels (including supervision) and Roles and Responsibilities of Key Personnel. Please refer to Section C and Section L.6 to ensure that you are providing a complete Quality Control Plan as part of your offers.

Q16: Contractors Cost Proposal Format: Do Offerors submit a separate sheet for the 6-month base year and each option year? Or are we totaling the base and all option years? Please clarify.

A16: Please submit the Contractor’s Cost Proposal Worksheet (either the Excel attachment or the PDF version in Section K) for the base period of the contract.

Q17: Past Performance: Relevant past performance is stated specifically as “mechanical operations and maintenance.” Are HVAC O&M contracts relevant as mechanical operations and maintenance?

A17: To be considered relevant, the contract must be for full mechanical O&M services, not just services to a single building system (such as HVAC).

Q18: If a contractor signs a teaming agreement (not joint venture) with a specialty subcontractor, (for example, fire equipment specialty subcontractor) can that teaming partner’s experience be listed in the past performance as relevant for evaluation? This question assumes a signed teaming agreement will be in place and submitted with the proposal.

A18: To be considered relevant, past performance references must meet the criteria as listed in Section L.6. If one of the partners does not have past performance that meets the criteria, it cannot be considered as relevant. In the case of a team arrangement in which both partners have mechanical O&M experience (in essence, in which both partners are operating as a prime) and meet the criteria for relevance, then the past performance will be considered as described in Section L.6’s description of joint ventures. For teaming arrangements with a prime

- sub relationship the sub-contractor’s past performance cannot be used to meet the past performance relevancy criteria.

Questions asked during the Pre-proposal Conference:

Q19: Please clarify contractor responsibility pertaining to the NCMMS.

A19: Please refer to Section C.8.5.1 and C.8.5.2 of the Solicitation. Essentially, contractors shall be required to take training during the NCMMS start-up phase and shall provide all necessary hardware and software. Upon gaining access to the NCMMS, all work performed must be entered into the NCMMS. Per the Solicitation: “The Contractor shall use NCMMS to identify, track, and schedule preventive maintenance work, service requests, and equipment inventory. The Contractor shall track historical maintenance and repair activities, including but not limited to: work order log entries, failure codes, tasks, man-hours, and other costs associated with work completion for each work order received during the performance of the contract. All maintenance and repair activities performed by the Contractor shall have a corresponding NCMMS work order.” Items that contractors should include in their NCMMS reporting include such things as estimated costs, actual costs, when work is done, when work couldn’t be completed on time, etc.

Q20: Please clarify the qualifications of the Journeyman Mechanic. What certifications do they need?

A20: Please refer to Section H.15 of the Solicitation for a comprehensive explanation of the qualifications and licenses/certifications required for each technician under the contract. The contractor is also responsible for ensuring that they are following all applicable Federal, State, and local codes regarding certifications.

Q21: Does the Journeyman Mechanic require a certification in all of the trades referenced in the Solicitation?

A21: No. It is understood that for certain trades, the work may need to be subcontracted out to a specialized technician. The prime contractor under this contract should ensure that subcontractors meet the qualifications as laid out in Section H.15. For example, the Journeyman Mechanic under this contract might be a General Mechanic and HVAC technician, with the appropriate licenses and certifications for those trades. However, electrical work might need to be subcontracted out. In this case, the electrician subcontractor must be licensed in that trade per the requirements of Section H.15. Please note that this contract is a Small Business Set-aside, and therefore the clause FAR 52.219-14 - Limitations on Subcontracting applies, which states: “At least 50 percent of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel shall be expended for employees of the concern.” Offerors should ensure that they are therefore equipped to perform at least 50% of the work in-house and ensure that their technicians are certified accordingly. Keep in mind that per this solicitation the awardee is required to offer the positions to the employees under the current contract. If those individuals are retained the contractor will meet the 50% requirement and the current employees already have the required certifications for their positions. If for any reason one/some of the current employees turn down the offer the contractor would need to provide qualified replacements based on the requirements of Section H.

Q22: It sounds like this contract deals with more than just Fire Protection Systems. Is that correct?

A22: That is correct. This Solicitation is for a full, recurring Operation and Maintenance (O&M) services contract. Please refer to Section C.1.1 for the list of Building Systems that are to be maintained. This includes fire protection systems along with numerous other requirements.

Q23: Does this contract include Janitorial work?

A23: No, Janitorial work is not included in this contract. A separate contractor handles Janitorial work at these locations.

Q24: Does this contract include Elevator Maintenance?

A24: No, Elevator maintenance is not included in this contract. A separate contractor handles Elevator maintenance at these locations.

Q25: So to clarify: is this a Solicitation for full building management?

A25: The prime contractor under this contract shall be responsible for performing at least 50% of the mechanical maintenance and repair work in-house as well as coordinating with other specialized trades and subcontractors as necessary in order to meet the full requirements of this solicitation. Please read the solicitation carefully and in full to ensure you understand the work required under this contract.

Q26: The requirements seem pretty general. Can you clarify what you are looking for in a contractor?

A26: Potential offerors should note that the items listed in the agenda are not comprehensive but rather a very general overview of the requirements under this contract.

Please refer to the Solicitation for the full description of contractual requirements. Offerors should also note that this is a Performance-Based Acquisition, meaning that the expectations for the quality of work performed are stated in the description of work requirements, but in many cases the contractor is responsible for determining how exactly that required quality is to be achieved.

Q27: Is the contractor responsible for building security?

A27: No, the contractor is not responsible for building security such as building guards or metal detectors. Offerors should note that some of the building systems that are to be maintained do have a security/safety function however. Please see Section C.1.1(i) which notes that “Locks, keycard systems, vehicle barrier systems and static and dynamic bollard systems” are to be maintained.

Q28: Is the contractor responsible for security cameras or CCTV?

A28: No, the O&M contractor is not responsible for cameras or CCTV.

Q29: Is the contractor responsible for building signage?

A29: Please refer to Section C.39.5 of the Solicitation for building signage requirements:

“C.39.5 Interior Signage and Directories - The Contractor shall maintain and update building directories, to include electronic directories and tenant common corridor signage but not electronic directories that belong to our building tenants. The Contractor shall repair damaged interior or exterior signage in accordance with the repairs provisions in this document. Other changes to interior or exterior signage may be ordered from the Contractor as reimbursable items under the additional services provisions in this document.”

Q30: Is the contractor responsible for just the building itself or the entire property?

A30: Per Section C.1.1 of the Solicitation, the contractor is responsible for all referenced building systems to the property line.

Q31: Why is the Government soliciting a new contract? Did the previous contractor not perform properly?

A31: This requirement is being solicited because the previous contract is due to expire, not due to any terminations or cancellations of a previous contract. It is the Government’s policy to maximize fair competition whenever possible.

Q32: If there is a change to the equipment inventory or contractual requirements, what are the responsibilities of the contractor?

A32: Please refer to FAR clause 52.243 -1 (Alternate I) for a full description of Change Orders. Should the Government require a change underneath the scope of the contract that would increase the cost of performing work (such as adding new equipment to the Equipment Inventory List), the contractor would have the opportunity to request and negotiate a fair and reasonable equitable adjustment in contract price. Similarly, if a change order would reduce the cost of work performance (such as removing a piece of equipment from the Inventory List), a fair and reasonable adjustment would be negotiated that to reduce the contract price accordingly.

Q33: Regarding Section C.40.1 -- is the incoming contractor supposed to replace all existing equipment with the most energy-efficient version? Is this a full building project?

A33: To clarify Section C.40.1: If there is a part that is due to be replaced already, the Government requires that the replacement part be “of comparable or higher quality,” and shall be the “most energy-efficient in its class.” These replacements shall be performed as part of the standard monthly service. But if the Government elects to perform a larger energy-efficiency project (for example, if there is a project to replace every light fixture with a more energy-efficient version), that would be done either as a separate project with separate pricing, or via a Change Order as described above (depending on the exact nature of the project).

There would be a separate price negotiation process in that event. Contractors will not be expected to perform radical updates to our equipment as part of the standard monthly service pricing.

Contractors should also note that there is an Initial Deficiency List (IDL) process, as described in Section C.4 of the Solicitation, which allows vendors the opportunity to inspect equipment for any deficiencies. Items on the IDL are not the contractor’s financial responsibility but rather the Government’s.

Contractors should be assured that they will be able to submit a proposal in the event of any significant changes to the contract.

Q34: Regarding the minimum hours for the Journeyman Mechanic as stated in Section C.8.1 --are those hours based on the history and past performance of the current contract at this location?

A34: Yes, these hours are based on the past history of this requirement.

Q35: Can you provide the CBA Wage Determination?

A35: The current CBAs are provided in Section J.19 in the Solicitation. There are three

CBAs provided: one for the Flint location, one for the Saginaw location, and one for Grand Rapids, which is the home territory of the current employee under the contract.

Q36: What happens after the current CBA expires?

A36: Depending on the timeframe of if/when a new CBA is issued that is applicable to this contract, either a revised Wage Determination will be published as part of a Solicitation Amendment to FedBizOpps (www.fbo.gov) OR the awardee/presumptive awardee will be given the opportunity to propose an equitable price adjustment to account for the updated Wage Determination. Please note that offerors should base their pricing on the actual Wage Determination that is in the Solicitation and not anticipate or estimate increases.

Offerors should note that a similar process is followed upon the exercising of each Option Year of the contract. If there is an increase to the Wage Determination, offerors will be given the opportunity to request an increase under FAR 52.222-43 Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Labor Standards—Price Adjustment (Multiple Year and Option Contracts).

This means that offerors should not be anticipating Wage Determination or fringe benefit increases as part of their proposals from one Option Year to the next, as these increases can be proposed at each anniversary date of the contract.

Offerors should also note that, in the event that a new CBA is not negotiated by the current contractor, the minimum wage rates in the current Wage Determination shall persist until a new CBA is negotiated by the awardee. (In other words, even if the current CBAs expire and new CBAs are not negotiated, the wage rates are locked in until the next CBA is signed by the incoming vendor.)

Q37: The current employee would have to be hired by the incoming contractor, correct?

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A37: FAR 52.222-17 -- Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers applies to this acquisition, which stipulates that qualified employees employed under the previous contract have the right of first refusal. Offerors should consult this contract clause and keep this requirement in mind when developing their proposals, as an employee’s seniority might affect the amount of allotted vacation time, leave time, etc. they are entitled to. This may have impacts on pricing and staffing.

Q38: How should a Joint Venture submit their Past Performance references?

A38: Per Section L.6(B): “If the offeror submits as a joint venture, unless the references submitted are for the joint venture, each firm in the joint venture will be evaluated and the composite score will be the average of all the scores for each firm of the joint venture.”

Q39: Do Davis-Bacon wages apply to this contract?

A39: No, Davis-Bacon wages do not apply. As this is primarily a Services contract and not a Construction contract, this contract is governed by the Service Contract Act in terms of wages.

Q40: Could you provide the current contractor’s contact information?

A40: This is listed in the Building Information Sheet (Exhibit J.5).

Q41: In Section C.5.3 - Transition Phase Startup, it states: “The Contractor shall provide within 30 days of transition startup services prior to the Contract start date to assist transitioning between Contractors.” By “within 30 days”, does that mean that the start-up can take less time than that? Or should we assume a full 30-day window?

A41: Contractors should assume that the full 30-day window will be required for start-up and should plan accordingly in their proposals.

Q42: Will the O&M contractor have to work from a mobile office or is there space in the building?

A42: There is space in the building to serve this purpose. This space was toured as part of the site visit.

Q43: Will the current contractor leave the lists of inspections, new equipment inventory, tours, maintenance, etc. with the building? Is the building maintenance history onsite?

A43: That information stays with the building. These documents should remain onsite, and much of this information is also captured in the NCMMS. One of the purposes of the NCMMS is to allow for a seamless capturing of building history and transmission of this data.

Q44: The previous contract has a 2-hour response window for emergencies. The current contract has a 1-hour window. What is the reason for that change?

A44: This is an important change between the previous requirements and the current solicitation. All offerors should note the 1-hour emergency response time as detailed in C.23.2 and C.23.3. The change was made because the current contract’s 2-hour window did not permit emergency repairs to take place quickly enough at these locations.

Q45: Would the new contractor have to hire current mechanic as a full-time employee or just for the work required under this contract?

A45: Only the work required under this contract.

Q46: If authorization by a warranted Contracting Officer is required before making any reimbursable repairs (per Section C.40.3), what should we do if there is a sudden emergency situation?

A46: It is important that contractors not perform work beyond what is required in the contract without proper authorization. If work without proper authorization takes place, the Government is not obligated to pay for that work. In the case of time-sensitive emergencies, there are emergency protocols that will allow authorization for additional or after-hours work to be provided quickly--often within an hour. Additionally, contractors can perform work that is already covered by the scope of the contract. For example, in the case of a plumbing leak, the contractor can shut the water off (which is covered under the scope of the contract). Then, prior to completing repairs, the contractor would have to wait for a Notice to Proceed from a Contracting Officer. Often, the emergency Notice to Proceed is a verbal instruction with an e-mail follow-up. The successful awardee will be provided more information regarding how to proceed in an emergency situation.

Q47: The cost proposal worksheet has a line item for Administrative Fees. Are we supposed to price that separately?

A47: The cost proposal worksheet allows offerors to demonstrate how they are arriving at their standard monthly pricing proposal, including direct and indirect costs such as administrative fees, profit, overhead, etc. The Administrative Fees line in the spreadsheet is part of the standard monthly services pricing breakout. It is not a separate line item. The only Line Items that are to be priced separately are those provided in Standard Form 33 and Section B.

Q48: Will as-built drawings be provided before award or after award?

A48: These will be provided after award. The Government team is working on researching the status of the as-builts, especially for electrical and mechanical, so that they are ready for use upon award of the contract.

Q49: There are unique foot-operated flushers in the basement restrooms in Location 1. Are there any of these in Location 2?

A49: No, the toilet flushers in Location 2 are not foot-operated.

Q50: What are the email size limits? (For the submission of offers electronically.)

A50: The maximum acceptable email size GSA can receive is 25 Megabytes. Please note that this email size is for the entire email, all things considered (not just the email attachments). Offerors are welcome to submit their offers in multiple emails, but we suggest that you label your emails clearly in that case (i.e. “Email 1 of 3;” “Email 2 of 3;” etc.).

Q51: Will the O&M contractor need to maintain kitchen appliances?

A51: No, those appliances are agency-owned equipment.

Q52: Are Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) battery replacements part of routine Preventive Maintenance?

A52: Yes, the replacement of UPS batteries is part of the routine Preventive Maintenance and cannot be billed separately to the Government.

Q53: I am a small business seeking to work with the Government. Are there any recommendations?

A53: There are many opportunities to work with the Government posted to FedBizOpps (www.fbo.gov). You may also work with your district Small Business Administration to see if there are additional opportunities available.

Q54: Are there any active warranties on the roof at Location 1?

A54: No, there are no active warranties on the roof.

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