Site_Showing_Notes_for_RFQ_AG-2B46-S-17-0081.pdf

Site Showing Notes for Solicitation AG-2B46-S-17-0081 (WREP Tree Planting)

On Thursday August 10, 2017 at 9:00 AM CST USDA-NRCS, Kentucky held a site showing meeting for Solicitations AG-2B46-S-17-0081 issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ) in Clinton, KY at the USDA Service Center Office.

Those present representing NRCS were:

Raymond E. Toor, NRCS Biologist (COR) Nancy Harris, NRCS Contracting Officer by Teleconference Call from Nashville, TN Emily Knoth, WRP Technician Graves County Conservation District

Those present representing potential bidders:

Luis Cuarenta with Lexington Landscape Nursery, Hopkinsville, KY Dan Dew also with Lexington Landscape Nursery, Hopkinsville, KY

The site showing meeting begin with introductions and instructions to the group on the plans for the day to go look at the three sites being shown. Mr. Toor discussed the current errors in the solicitation in that the planting dates for the containerized trees will be corrected to read between September 15, 2017 and June 1, 2018 since the window of planting is longer than the bare root seedlings. This will be corrected on page 57 of the solicitation in Attachment 5 which has the specifications and on pages 59, 62, 64, and 65, under bullet number 3) of Bid Items 01, 03, 05, and 06 specifications.

Mr. Toor noted 3 other additional errors to be corrected to the site preparations to Bid Items 04, 05, and 07 on pages 63, 64, and 66 of the solicitation in attachment 5. As follows:

Page 63 Bid Item 04 Planting Trees and Shrubs

3) Site preparation is required on this site in Fields 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 for 75.7 acres and it will consist of twice disking and broadcasting two bushels of wheat to the acre followed by by rolling with a culti-packer or other similar implement after October 1st, but before October 31st, 2017.

Page 64 Bid Item 05 Planting Trees and Shrubs

2) Site preparation is required on this site in Fields 1 and 2 for 80.0 acres and it will consist of mowing a minimum of 10 foot wide strips on 40 foot centers over the entire 80.0 acres to a height of 8 inches within 14 days of contract award followed with a chemical application in the mowed strips over the entire 80.0 acres with 1.5 quarts of 41 % Glyphosate base product per acre no earlier than 2 weeks after mowing but before October 15, 2017.

Page 66 Bid Item 07 Planting Trees and Shrubs

3) Site preparation is required on this site in Fields 1, 2, and 3 for 27.1 acres and it will consist of mowing the entire 27.1 acres to a height of 8 inches within 14 days of contract award followed with a chemical application over the entire 27.1 acres with 1.5 quarts of 41 % Glyphosate base product per acre no earlier than 2 weeks after mowing but before October 15, 2017.

Mr. Toor also noted one correction to the Maps for Bid Item 05. On both the Location Map and the Tree Planting the Map for Bid Item 05 the Landowner should be changed from Goodman to Major Brothers.

Mr. Toor explained how partial payments could be made on the lump sum bid for such things as pre-planting site preparation, tree planting, and post planting site preparation based a comparison of the actual lump sum bid for the item number by the successful contractor as a ratio to the government estimate for the bid item. Mrs. Harris confirmed that NRCS could make partial payments based on the percentage of work completed on the separate bid items.

The group loaded up with NRCS and Graves County Conservation District personnel in one vehicle and the contractors following in their vehicles. The group left at 9:45 AM for the Bid Item 02 Gill WREP site visit in Carlisle County, Kentucky. At 10:15 AM the group arrived at the Gill WREP site. The group looked at field 1 to be HAND planted and the following questions were asked.

Question 1 Why is this site getting hand planted?

Answer from Ray Toor The Phase I archeological investigation dictated that this site be hand planted only.

At 10:45 the group left the Gill WREP site for the Goodman WREP site in Fulton County.

At 11:15 the group arrived at the Bid Item 03 Goodman WREP site in Fulton County. The group looked fields 1 and 2.

Question 1 Does it matter which direction the 10 foot wide strips are mowed?

Answer from Ray Toor No, as long as there is 40 feet between the centers of the mowed strips. This is a containerized planting site with 40 feet between tree rows.

Mr. Toor stated that if the contractors wanted to look at the rest of the sites that they could on their own time, but requested that the contractors contact him first, so that he could alert the landowners that someone was coming to visit the sites and arrange for locked gates to be open for them.

A summary of corrections:

Correct Containerized tree planting to be between September 15, 2017 and June 1, 2018.

Change performance period ending date from April 16, 2018 to June 2, 2018

Correct Bid Item 04, 05, and 07 Site preparation as noted above Correct the Maps for Bid Item 05 to the correct landowner.