2013-0730-PreproposalConferenceNotes.pdf

Pre-proposal Conference Notes Bitterroot National Forest

Solicitation No. AG-03R6-S-13-0043

Attendees of the meeting were as follows:

Name Organization Address Loren Ebner, Contracting Officer

(406) 329-3858

USFS, Region 1 Western MT AQM Zone

Building 24, Fort Missoula Missoula, MT 59804

Greg Treible USFS, Region 1 Western MT AQM Zone

Building 24, Fort Missoula Missoula, MT 59804

Jack Cornelisse, Silviculture USFS, Bitterroot N.F. Bitterroot National Forest Stevensville Ranger District 88 Main Stevensville, MT 59870

David Fox, Fire and Fuels USFS, Bitterroot N.F. Bitterroot National Forest Sula Ranger District 7338 US Highway 93 South Sula, MT 59871

Tanya Neidhardt, Fire and Fuels USFS, Bitterroot N.F. Bitterroot National Forest 712 North Main Street Darby, MT 59829

Andy Kies, Silviculture USFS, Bitterroot N.F. Bitterroot National Forest Stevensville Ranger District 88 Main Stevensville, MT 59870

Jerry Luce

(208) 660-9927

(208) 660-9915

Western Processing, Inc.

Perfecto Ledesma Western Processing, Inc.

Raymundo Gonzalez (541)-326-6093

Imperial Forestry 321 S Orange Street Medford, O R 97501

Guillermo Sanchez

(530) 356-8230

R.C.O. Reforesting

Roberto A. Ochoa R.C.O. Reforesting

NOTE: As a result of this pre-proposal meeting, the Government is issuing an amendment to the solicitation.

THE MEETING RECORD:

The meeting commenced at 1000 hrs at the Bitterroot National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Hamilton, Montana. The above individuals were present at the meeting.

The Government and Contractors present discussed the following items:

Contracting Officer Loren Ebner reviewed the following items:

• Section A (Standard Form 33). Reviewed

• Due Date is September 4, 2013

• Complete Blocks 12-18

• Offer Acceptance: 60 days

• Discount terms - this will not affect evaluations but may speed up payments

• Amendment Acknowledgements – sign amendments and return, or acknowledge in Block 14

• Ensure Block 15 is completed with DUNS and TIN as well

• Sign and date in Blocks 17 and 18

• Section B, Schedule of Items. Reviewed:

• Categories of Work

• There is a schedule of items for the base year and each option year. We reviewed the notes in

Section B and discussed the estimated quantities identified on the schedule. The quantities are estimated, and may vary as allowed by the IDIQ contract clauses. In the last column, the first number is the quantity identified for evaluation purposes.

• Minimum and maximum contract amounts are identified in Paragraph B. 2.

• Paragraph B. 5., Capacity and Workforce – CO explained how production rates would be inserted into this Paragraph.

• See Amendment No. 01 for revised Schedule of Items – Add table for minimum crew size and number of crews.

• Section K, Representations, Certifications…. Reviewed:

• Paragraph K. 1(a)(2) – Small Business Size Standard

• Paragraph K. 1(d) – ORCA – Register in ORCA. Contracting Officer will retrieve your

ORCA report by using your DUNS number.

• Paragraphs K. 3, K. 4 and K. 5 are additional certifications. Complete and submit with your offer, in addition to ORCA.

• Section L, Instructions, Conditions…. Reviewed:

• Section L contains instructions to Offerors on the preparation of their proposals.

• Paragraph L. 4 – FAXs and Emails are not accepted.

• Paragraph L. 5 – Offerors are encouraged to read this in detail and respond accordingly.

• Paragraph L. 5(a)(4) – Identifies the number of copies of proposal required.

• Paragraph L. 5 – Non-price evaluation factors include past performance, capacity and workforce, and work methods.

• Paragraph L. 5 – Note the cross-references under the “capacity and workforce” evaluation criteria. Elements of Offerors proposal will be inserted into the awarded contract.

• Paragraph L. 5 (b)(3)(a) Work Methods – Safety. Note the instruction is to respond with information demonstrating Offeror’s safety record, and information explaining Offeror’s safety program/policies.

• Paragraph L. 5(b)(3)(b) Work Methods – Quality Control. Note that the Offeror’s Quality Control record will actually be evaluated under Past Performance, but the Offeror’s proposed Quality Control methods will be evaluated under this criteria.

• See Amendment No. 01 for revisions to the Evaluation Criteria

Solicitation No. AG-03R6-S-13-0043

• Section M, Evaluation Factors for Award. Reviewed:

• Section M contains information for Offerors on how the Government will evaluate.

• The non-price factors listed will be equally considered for the purposes of evaluation. An unacceptable rating for any of the factors will preclude contract award.

• Award will be made to one Contractor on the basis of best-value to the Government.

• Section I, Contract Clauses. Reviewed:

• FAR 52.219-3 Notice of HUBZone Set-Aside

• FAR 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting - this is a HUBZone Small Business set-aside, so there are limitations on the amount of subcontracting. The Small Business Administration can assist Contractors in determining if their business configuration is in conformance with these restrictions.

• FAR 52.222-4 Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act

• FAR 52.222-41 Service Contract Act

• Paragraph I. 3 FAR 52.204-13 Central Contractor Registration Maintenance

• Paragraph I. 6 Ordering – Contracting Officer explained that Government may place orders until the very last day of the base or any option period. Government is motivated to place orders before prices go up.

• Paragraph I. 7 Order Limitations – Contracting Officer gave a detailed explanation of how these order limitations would function, and how the clause is written liberally to the benefit of the Government.

• Paragraph I. 8 Indefinite Quantity

• Paragraph I. 9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract

• Section H, Special Contract Requirements. Reviewed:

• Paragraph H. 2 - Key Personnel

• Paragraphs H. 3 and H. 4 - Fire – Contracting Officer discussed liability, briefly identified other requirements. No pump and trailer required.

• Paragraph H. 5 – Eligible Workers

• Paragraph H. 6 – Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Workers – CO identified requirements in sub-paragraphs (c) Registration, (d)(2) Wage and Payroll Standards, (d)(3) Motor Vehicle Safety, (d)(4) Housing, and (d)(5) Field Sanitation.

• Paragraph H.10 Safety, this clause is new and is in addition to the other contract requirements for Safety.

• Paragraph H.14 Weed Free Practices – this is a requirement for cleaning non-construction equipment and vehicles.

• Paragraph H.19 Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System - database being used by Forest Service to track Contractor past performance.

• Section F, Deliveries or Performance. Reviewed:

• Paragraph F. 2 Contract Period – Be advised that the prices to be paid on Task Orders will be the prices in effect on the date the Task Order is issued. The Government may issue Task Orders up to the very last day of the base or any option year periods, even if the pricing would change the following day.

• Paragraph F. 3 Contract Time Required Rate of Progress - Offerors are encouraged to read this section in detail in order to understand contract time for task orders. The successful Offeror’s responses regarding production rates, capacity, etc., will be directly inserted into the contract. Contract time will run continuously from the effective date of the Notice to Proceed. Suspensions without charge to contract time will only be issued for excusable delays as defined by Federal Acquisition Regulations, or as allowed by Paragraph F. 3.5.

David Fox and Jack Cornelisse reviewed the following items:

• Section B, Schedule of Items.

• C. 4.1: Walk-In – evaluation and payment needs further clarification. There was discussion regarding Contractor desire to use motorized vehicles on closed roads with Government approval. There was discussion regarding whether the Government should allow it, and if so, should the Government still pay the walk-in price (See Amendment No. 01 for resolution of this issue).

• C. 4.6.1a: Standard Slash Treatment is included (NSP) in contract prices.

• C.4.6.1b: Supplemental Slash Treatment is extra payment for bucking. The Government has further defined this into 2 categories. There was discussion of simplifying the presentation of these 2 categories. (See Amendment No. 01 for resolution of this issue).

• C.4.6.5 If specified on the summary info chart, the handpiling may include the piling of existing slash in addition to the thinning generated slash.

• Other Topics.

• Pre-existing Slash / Previously logged units. There was discussion about the impact of pre-existing slash in units that had been previously logged. In some units that have been previously logged, the brush and grass have grown up and covered the slash. This creates a situation that cuts crew production rates in half costing the Contractor more money but the unit still meets the identified work category for piles per acre. To minimize Contractor risk, a new work item is being added to the contract. The existing logging slash supplement will be applied to units that have been previously logged where the slash has been covered by brush and grass. See Amendment No. 01 for resolution of this issue.

• Acceptable Leave Tree clarification. There was a discussion about how trees with recent mountain pine beetle attacks are not acceptable leave trees and that the crews need to pay close attention when selecting leave trees. Also discussed that most prescriptions for the fuels work will include cutting and piling the red needled trees that have already died from beetle attacks to avoid creating fuel loading in the future in units that are being treated.(David)

The Government representatives and the Contractors present proceeded to the field to visit some relevant areas of similar work on the National Forest:

• Looked at three units along the Baker Lake Road. These were chosen because they were fairly representative of the type of plantations we would be thinning on the Bitterroot. The first stop was Baker Unit XX which was a heavily stocked young PP plantation. This represented C. 4.2.E Very Heavy Thinning. The next stop was Baker Unit XX that was a young PP plantation that would be C. 4.2.B Light Thinning. The third unit was Baker XX which was an old plantation where the bulk of trees to be cut are large and this contract will have a fair amount of these type of units. This represented C. 4.2.B Light Thinning and C. 4.6.1.b Supplemental Slash Treatment 8-10” dbh. We walked into this unit a short distance and discussed the Supplemental Slash Treatment clause (C. 4.6.1.b). It was explained that this clause was created for units where we are thinning trees between 8 and 10 inches dbh. We have also created an additional Supplemental Slash Treatment clause (C. 4.6.1.c) that covers units where we would thin up to 12” dbh. We said that we (FS) realize that it takes more time to lop and buck larger trees, therefore we have a bid item to cover the extra cost to thin, buck, and lop these larger trees.

• Looked at LWF Unit 2. LWF2 was representative of C. 4.2.B Light Thinning, C. 4.6.1.b Supplemental Slash Treatment 8-10” dbh and C. 4.6.5.C Medium Handpiling. This unit also had been previously logged and the prescription would require handpiling. It was suggested this might be a unit where the existing logging slash supplement might apply. Feedback from some Contractors suggested it wouldn’t because the slash was still on the surface without any grass and shrubs to slow production rates of handpiling.

• Looked at LWF 61 C. This was representative of C. 4.2.B Light Thinning, C. 4.6.1.b Supplemental Slash

Treatment 8-10” dbh and C. 4.6.5.C Medium Handpiling. Also showed the unit above the road that was thinned and piled this year as an example of the implemented prescription.

• Looked at LWF 61 D. This was representative of C. 4.2.C Medium Thinning, C.4.6.1.b Supplemental Slash

Treatment 8-10” dbh and C.4.6.5.C Medium Handpiling. The area below the road was much lighter and may be broken out into a separate unit. However, we wanted to also point out that some units such as this have openings where practically no piling would be done and then other areas that would be fairly heavy.

• We looked at these units to show where we have a mix of slashing, thinning, and hand piling. The general specifications that will apply to the hand piling were discussed. The Contractors wandered through these units for a short time.

*End of Text*