Answers_to_Questions_0805_Ammend_003.docx

1) Does the Contractor or the government supply road salt and sidewalk chemical? The contractor shall provide as part of the fixed price.

2) Does the Contractor or the government supply the gas dewars and cylinders? The government will maintain a contract to provide gases for research operations. The contractor will provide gases for contract operations.

3) Who is the Fire Alarm contractor? Seimens

4) Please provide a list of expenditures for Vehicles, roll up doors, Lawn equipment, Crane and who is the contractor, back flow preventers, roof? Historical pricing data is included in Attachment A.2.4

5) Please provide a list with contact information for all current subcontractors. See attachment A.4.1 incorporated by Amendment 003

6) Please provide the current contract price. Historical pricing data is included in Attachment A.2.4

7) Can you provide a staffing/org chart or staffing information for current labor categories? (how many plumbers, electricians, help desk staff, engineers, etc.) Current O&M staffing plan is considered proprietary information.

8) Are there any warranties currently in place? If so please provide. There are no significant warranties currently in place.

9) Lamps and Ballast. Can you provide a history of replacement and when the last re-lamping was accomplished? Re-lamping and ballasting are on-going efforts.

10) Emergency and Standby Power Systems –

a. Are emergency generators to be load tested during annual maintenance? Are they tested on building power or by use of a load bank? Emergency generators are not routinely tested under load. They are run per the PM schedule without a load.

b. Are there any load banks available in any of the facilities or must the contractor provide them? N/A

11) Will the government pay for generator fuel consumed as part of scheduled preventive maintenance checks? Per PWS 1.4.1 The government purchases #2 oil for the generator and for the boilers.

12) For certification and maintenance on equipment that is done less frequently than annual, is it the government’s intention to have this work done in the first year of the contract? The work will be done without loss of continuity in concert with the existing schedule.

13) Please confirm that the contractor is not responsible for any costs related to vehicle repairs. The costs for cleaning the cars vacuuming, washing etc. shall be included in the Contractors fixed price.

14) What is the incumbents current monthly/annual FFP to provide basic services, excluding additional work. Historical pricing is contained in Attachment A.2.4

15) Please provide a listing of government furnished vehicles. Available government property is contained in Attachment A.1.3. Inventory of government vehicles is contained in Attachment A.3.3.

16) What posts are required covered under “Watchperson Services” Watchperson responsibilities are defined in SOW section 3.2.3.

17) Current list of subcontractors cleared to work on campus. There are no non-recurring subcontractors cleared to work on campus. Subcontractors are issued temporary access for the period they are performing at ERRC. Recurring personnel performing under service subcontracts may be issued longer term access when determined to be beneficial to the government, but there is no pre-cleared list.

18) During Phase-in, will the contractor be given the opportunity to inspect the entire facility for the purpose of assembling an Initial Deficiency List (IDL) Yes, within the limit that the inspection cannot impact research or campus operations

19) Repair work required to be performed after hours; will the contractor be reimbursed the differential between straight time labor and over-time labor. The contractor shall include any required overtime needed to perform routine work, as specified in the Statement of Work, in their fixed price.

20) What is the seasonal operation schedule for the 100 psi high pressure steam boilers. i.e. October to May. Boilers operate year round. There is no seasonal change other than load.

21) Is the contractor responsible for providing the cost the refuse hauling in their FFP Yes

22) What is the gross square-footage and the cleanable square-footage for all facilities on campus The campus is approximately 18 acres. Housekeeping requirements are contained in SOW section 7.3.4 and attachment A.1.0, A.7.3.4, and A.7.3.4.2

23) What is the current contract amount? See Question 14 above

24) Has this SOW changed dramatically since the current contract?

a. The statement of work is unique to this solicitation. It differs from the current contract in structure and scope.

b. Can the proposal be submitted via email or mail only? Due to the large nature of the proposal packages they shall be submitted via mail only

25) Is there a mandatory site visit? This event has taken place, not mandatory but suggested. If sufficient interest is shown another may be scheduled.

26) Is there an incumbent contractor currently performing the work for Solicitation #AG-32SC-S-13-0008? Akima Tech-Link LLC is the incumbent Contractor. See Question 24a.

27) What is the current contract number? AG-3K06-C-06-000. See Question 24a.

28) Can the Government please confirm the technical proposal is to be double spaced. Double spacing the text is difficult to read and will require 2x the amount of paper if printed. The proposal shall be formatted using proper judgement of the Contractor for Readability and paper usage

29) Is the Government using Maximo or MP2 CMMS? ERRC is using COGZ CMMS

30) Can you verify that the average number of Work Orders per year are only 3704? Historical work orders are in attachment A.2.1

31) Please describe the dedicated unit for Room 2208C as noted in Section 6.6.4 of the PWS. Is this ACU-1 a special air conditioning unit? 2208C is a conditioned testing space. ACU-1 is a dedicated unit designed to hold closer temp and humidity conditions than typical lab conditions.

32) Are any contracts or warranties in place for the Siemens BAS? The government does not have a contract for the BAS. The current O&M contractor does.

33) Solicitation_section_b_CRB.doc In the above referenced document the quantity for Item No. 2(A) through 2(E) is “3 mos” for the Base Period – Routine Work 10/1/13 – 9/30/14. Will the government adjust the document to indicate 12 months for each CLIN? See Revised Schedule B issued with Amendment 002.

34) L.5(b) Page 40 “Illustrations shall be legible and foldouts shall, in general, be hold to an 11 inch x 14 inch size.” For trifold graphics or illustrations, please confirm that 11 x 17 foldouts are acceptable. See answer to Question 28

35) PWS 1.0 The on-site facility management team is referenced for work coordination What personnel or positions at the Center are we referencing? Quality Assurance Specialist, Facility Engineer, Administrative Officer, Center Director & Staff (As Selected).

36) PWS 1.1 “The Contractor may be requested to generate and provide a specific report, or a portion of a report, with a turnaround time of as little as four hours;” Does the 4 hour turnaround extend to new reports or established reports? If referring to a new report, would the government extend to 16 hours to develop and provide relevant data. The Contractor shall put forward their best effort to get the information to the Government in a timely manner.

37) PWS 1.1.3 “The Contractor is responsible for training their employees in IT security training, modernization training for new equipment, etc.” Does the government have plans in the near future to modernize? Yes, ERRC is working with an ESPC contractor to modernize systems targeting energy usage. There is training associated with some of the proposed measures. There will be no tuition costs, but the contractor will need to make their staff available at their cost for training as applicable to the individual systems. The training will likely occur during ERRC normal business hours. This is to be considered part of the routine work and part of the fixed price.

38) PWS 1.2.3 The first sentence of the first paragraph states, “Report Required R.1.2.3 – Annual Online Usage Value and type of Bio-based”. Was this sentence to be removed from the PWS, or is it incomplete? If it is incomplete, will the government please provide the complete sentence (or paragraph)? It is a listing of a required report that details contractor’s usage of bio-based materials in the performance of the contract. Details are available at the referenced site www.biopreferred.gov.

39) PWS 1.3 Shared Government Property and Materials How will the normal wear and tear be measured if the items are shared and contractor is required to replenish/replace if damaged. This refers to a sentence that states, “Repairs, replacement, and/or refurbishment not due to normal wear and tear shall be at the Contractor’s expense.” It applies to situations where the equipment was damaged due to misuse or neglect. If a contract employee damages equipment due to misuse or neglect, the contactor is responsible for the repair/replacement.

40) PWS 1.3 Annual Accountable Property Inventory Is this facility wide or just what the contractor uses? It is not facility wide.

41) PWS 1.3 Stock Materials Would the government provide the location(s) for stock materials? What materials we have are located in janitorial closets, shops, storerooms, etc. throughout the campus. We do not have a list of locations and their associated contents.

42) PWS 1.4.1 Government Furnished Services via Contracts Will the customer provide Propane for the VSB heating system as part of Government Furnished Services? The Government will provide propane for the VSB. The contractor will coordinate with the Government to schedule Orders, deliveries, change tanks, etc. as required.

43) PWS 2.0 “Maintain a single point of contact onsite for receipt of work requests” Does the contractor need to designate a single full-time employee for trouble calls/emergency maintenance work order receipt? It is not a requirement of the government that the contractor’s single point of contact be dedicated solely to that task.

44) PWS 2.2.2 Preventive maintenance work during normal business hours. Would the government define non-occupied hours? Normal occupancy hours are from 6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. Non-occupied hours are any hours outside the normal occupancy hours.

45) PWS 2.4 Additional Work – section defines Additional Work. Any and all remedial maintenance work for buildings and structures and their installed equipment, utility systems, and process and non-process equipment would be reimbursed, in total, as Additional work. Is that correct? We don’t understand this question

46) PWS 2.8 Facility Deficiency Report Would the government provide the most recent facility survey noting existing problems? We will make it available to the successful bidder.

47) PWS 3.1 Attach 1.4.1 Discrepancy between PWS and Attachment 1.4.1 Please clarify if contractor or government will procure material services The government will procure the material services in attachment 1.4.1. The PWS describes how the contractor will support the government mission utilizing those services.

48) PWS 3.4 Line Item 3 “Maintain, repair, and operate a postage machine with integral meter and electronic scale;” Will the government supply the postage machine with integral meter and electronic scale? The Pitney Bowes system is leased by the contractor. The government pays for the postage.

49) PWS 6.6 “The Contractor shall maintain, repair, modify, operate and ensure that all systems are operating at their maximum efficiency in accordance with the original sequence of operation.” Is original sequence of operation on each point to be provided on Day 1 of contract start? All available technical information will be provided.

50) PWS 6.6.1 Primary Boilers What is the current boiler operation PSI? Normal boiler operating pressures are set to provide steam at 90psig in the main building. Actual set point is above 90 to account for losses in transit. Occasionally, during normal occupancy hours, pressures are raised to provide steam at 110psig to support the operation of specific research equipment.

51) PWS 7.3.2 Attach 7.3.4 There is a conflict between daily refuse removal. PWS states daily and attachment states every other day. Please clarify the schedule for refuse removal. The attachment refines the PWS. The daily requirement in the PWS applies to all trash containers, carts, etc. used to transfer trash from individuals containers to the dumpsters. The daily requirement also applies to all common area trash receptacles not identified or further defined in attachment 7.3.4

52) Would you please provide the contact and address for the submission of our proposal due on August 2? Per the Bid Form: ARS EBSC Contracting, Acquisition, 1815 N UNIVERSITY ST. PEORIA IL 61604, attention Mark O. Volk mark.volk@ars.usda.gov.

53) What is the current year (option year 4) contract value? What is the total contract value? Historical pricing data is included in Attachment A.2.4

54) Is the contractor permitted to test during normal business hours with the alarm devices silenced? Generally, if the testing will not impact normal building operations, the contractor may be permitted to do it during normal business hours with prior government approval and occupant notification.

55) Please clarify/confirm the requirement that ONLY NICET technicians are permitted to perform the quarterly water flow tests for devices typical in stairwells, garages, and other locations. Attachment A.1.1 contains applicable codes and regulations.

56) In order to perform Fire Pump tests, do we need to run hoses for the flow test? What time of day and/or week day restrictions may apply to each building? Hoses need to be run. Tests are to be coordinated with the government.

57) When was the last year the 6 & 12 year fire extinguisher tests were performed? There are 229 extinguishers at ERRC. 167 in the main building, 31 in the Mechanical Serrvices building, 1 in the meat processing lab, 3 on the chemical transfer building, 6 in the Leather Research Building, 12 in the boiler house,, 3 in the Vehicle storage building, and 6 in the haz-ops building. None of them require 6 or 12 testing in the base year. Approximately 20 of them require 6 year testing in option year 1 and 20 of them require testing in option year two. None of them require 12 year testing in the performance period of the contract.

58) Does the current staff have acceptable training/certification for the BAS operation? The Government is not aware of the individual qualifications of the Contractors staff.

59) With regard to utilities services, does the Government provide telephones and phone service? Hard wired phones only, at existing locations.

60) Water Treatment, is there any requirement to operate 24/7 that would impact our cost proposal? We are unable to determine what impacts your proposal

61) Will there be any phase in period? If so how long? The transition period is described in SOW para 2.7.

62) Will the Government ensure a USDA representative is available for the Initial Deficiency Inspections to allow the contractor to comply with the time limit restrictions? The Government will review the report and may inspect with the contractor to verify the report, but will not necessarily accompany the contractor during their inspection.

63) Is there a requirement for an infrared thermographic analysis aka electrical scans every contract year as required by NPDA 70? Applicable requirements are contained in attachment A.1.1. WE ARE not familiar with NPDA 70.

64) Will the electrical 3 year maintenance be required in the first year or on the cyclical anniversary date that it may fall on? The maintenance schedule will continue as currently scheduled.

65) Does the contractor have to obtain an “Air Quality Monitoring Permits” or are there permits in place as required by the EPA? The government maintains its own emissions permits with PaDEP. The contractor is required to generate reports as defined in SOW para 4.1.4. supporting permitting requirements.

66) Is there a requirement for above or underground fuel oil tank inspections?

a. Does the State of Pa.inspect these tanks?

b. Does the boiler & AST & UST inspections by the State of Pa. satisfy the pressure vessel inspection requirements of the solicitation?

Tank testing requirements are in SOW para 4.1.3. Pressure vessel testing requiremtns are contained in SOW para 6.6.5

67) Please provide the number of bathroom fixtures per building IE: toilets, sinks, urinals that will have to be maintained as a plumbing requirement. The location of all restrooms is contained in attachment A.1.0.

68) Are there any UPS & PDU equipment included in the RFP, if so please identify make, model, & manufacture and location for each building. Historically maintained equipment is listed in attachment A.2.2.1

69) Are there any spaces that require “confined entry training”? YES

70) Please confirm there is NOT a requirement for Asbestos Training for Supervisor – Project Manager level? All personnel must be trained to the extent required to ensure ACM is handled IAW regulations. There is no requirement that all personnel be certified in ACM removal except for personnel that will actually do abatement work. Whatever training is needed for the Contractor to Recognize, handle, and remove Asbestos is required.

71) Are there currently any energy shared income agreements with regards to chillers, boilers, air handling units, pumps, motors, cooling towers, or emergency generators in which repairs and preventive maintenance is provided by others? No

72) Is there any specialized equipment under warranty that may require the manufactures certified technicians to perform maintenance to keep the warranty in force? If so please identify the equipment. No.

73) Is there any solicitation requirement to power wash, re-stripTo re-stripe, paint, patch or provide signage? These requirements are in SOW para 7.2

74) Is RS Means preventive maintenance guide acceptable for the Web Based CMMS program with the understanding that each location may require a modification to frequency & method? The CMMS system in use at ERRC is COGZ.

75) Please confirm how many man-hours per month for each building for miscellaneous services. SOW para 7.3.5.1 calls for 200 hours annually for moving. We don’t have a monthly breakdown. Conference room set-ups average 100 man hours per year.

76) Please confirm that there is a requirement for annual or periodic roof anchor and/or window washing support equipment inspections per OSHA 29 CFR 1910? We don’t understand this question

77) Please provide the number of Emergency Generators for each building. Do these units have load banks? Can the building load support the load bank requirement? Can the emergency generators be tested during normal business hours? There is one emergency generator for the campus tied to the main switchgear. There is no load bank requirement. PM testing of the generator is conducted during normal business hours.

78) Please confirm that heating fuel oil will be paid by USDA. USDA pays for heating fuel oil.

79) Is there a requirement to maintain & repair flag poles? No.

80) Are the flag lights? If so on which buildings? May these be utilized so that all weather flag may be flown 24/7 except for times that will require a half mast flag flown. There are flag lights. There is no requirement to retire the flag unless the lights are inoperable.

81) Please confirm that the contractor must raise and lower the flags each day.

See 80 above

82) Does the vacancy credit apply only to the janitorial portion or to both O&M and custodial. We don’t understand this question

83) Has the 10 year roof anchor inspection been performed per building? If so please identify which buildings. We don’t understand this question

84) The solicitation is silent on agency owned equipment that the contractor must perform service & maintenance on with regards to “repairs”, please clarify whose responsibility it is. The contractor will maintain and repair all agency equipment that they use.

85) Please clarify the intent as to recycling containers in common areas and desk stations, is it provided by IRS or does the contractor have to supply? The IRS does not supply anything to ERRC. Recycling containers in the common and office areas are supplied by ERRC.

86) The solicitation is silent on bathroom device counts ie.; toilets, urinals, sinks, & showers, would you please indicate the number per building that will allow the bidder to evaluate the costs to maintain the bathroom fixtures.? The location of all restrooms is contained in attachment A.1.0.

87) Are there any USDA Regional master contracts in place that may affect our pricing logic? We are unable to determine what impacts your pricing logic.

88) Is there a building standard lighting color IE: warm white, cool white, natural? Attachment A.1.1 contains applicable codes and refers to lighting standards.

89) Are there any unique custodial certification requirements ie: CIMS or ISSA? No

90) Is the grounds equipment owned by the US Government? If so may the contractor use the equipment? Government owned equipment available for contractor use is contained in attachment A.1.3

91) What areas have smoke detectors and/or beams above 12’ that would require a lift or ladder to reach? How many detectors above 12’ are there in each building? The food pilot plant, high bay area, MPL – Meat Processing Lab and LRB – leather Research Building, have ceilings above the 12’ level.

92) Are there any unique water treatment specialized electronic devises under warranty? No

93) Please provide the last year of hydrostatic testing on F-24 fire extinguishers for all buildings. There are no F-24 fire extinguishers at ERRC.