Site Showing Minutes Laper-Westra-Gay.doc

Site Showing Minutes

Solicitation No. AG-5F48-S-09-0004

Laper/Westra/Gay Wetland Restoration Project

9/3/09 10:00 a.m.

The site showing began at the Laper property at 10:00 a.m.

Kim Kidney (Federal Acquisition Consultant) introduced the NRCS staff that were present: Deni Hazel (COTR), Lori Leonard (Farm Bill Biologist), and Joe Smedberg (Green Lake County DC). He also explained that Tami Lanier of the Madison State Office is the Contracting Officer.

Kim began by stressing some important points of the solicitation:

· Monitor the Fed Biz Opps site for any amendments. It is required that all amendments are acknowledged.

· No provisions of liquidated damages, however, actual damages may be assessed for failure to complete the work within the allowable 24 day performance time.

· Page 7 – Performance of work by contractor must be equivalent to at least 50 percent of the total amount of work to be performed under contract.

· All safety requirements listed in the solicitation will be taken seriously. Must follow applicable OSHA requirements as well as NRCS supplement to OSHA. Some key requirements announced included: first aid facilities, first aid training documentation, roll-over structures, hard hats, signs, and workers compensation documentation.

· Page 15 – Maximum workweek allowed is ten hours per day, Monday through Friday.

· Page 16 – Contract is subject to the Davis-Bacon Act. A copy of the wage determination is an attachment to the solicitation.

· All sub-contractors must comply with all the clauses in this solicitation.

· Page 17 – Contractor must supply domestic/American made products for the work (Buy American Act).

· Contractor must submit a construction schedule sequence of work for review and approval by the Contracting Officer.

· Successful contractor must be registered in CCR before receiving contract award. Website is www.ccr.gov. Get registered now.

· “By Reference Clauses” can be accessed at www.arnet.gov.

Read the entire solicitation. Clauses referenced are also available for review at the NRCS State Office in Madison.

Q: What is the time limit to complete work on all three sites?

A: 24 calendar days

Q: If the prime contractor wants an employee or a subcontractor to perform fueling or maintenance of his power equipment, must this maintenance work be performed only during the Government approved maximum work hours for that day?

A: Generally, no. However, the person performing this work may be subject to the requirements of the Davis Bacon Act and related regulations. The contractor who receives the contract award should submit an advance request to the Contacting Officer for a formal decision or interpretation for any planned circumstances as described above. The request should include specific details of the work to be performed. The Contracting Officer will seek the advice the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, and inform the contractor accordingly.

Q: Are truck drivers who deliver materials such as rock to the worksite, subject to the Davis Bacon Act and related regulations?

A: Generally, the transportation of materials or supplies to or from the site of the work by employees of the prime contractor or a construction subcontractor, is not considered to be construction, prosecution, completion, or repair as defined in Title 29 of the CFR, Chapter I, Part 5, Subpart A. However, if the off-site rock or supply facility is dedicated exclusively or nearly so to the performance of the construction work, employees of the prime contractor or a construction subcontractor, this work may be considered to be construction, prosecution, completion, or repair, and therefore, be covered. The contractor who receives the contract award should submit an advance request to the Contacting Officer for a formal decision or interpretation for any planned circumstances as described above. The request should include specific details of the work to be performed. The Contracting Officer will seek the advice the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, and inform the contractor accordingly.

Also, supervisory positions are not subject to the Davis-Bacon Act, and a full time superintendent is required to be on site at all times.

Q: What is required for first aid documentation?

A: Current certificate for first aid training along with a written safety program.

Deni discussed some of the important technical aspects of the project:

· A pre-construction meeting will be held with the contractor, Deni, Contracting Officer and the landowner prior to construction beginning.

· Underground hazards and utilities must be investigated prior to construction. It is the responsibility of the contractor to contact diggers hotline at least three days prior to construction.

· All work performed must be in accordance with NRCS construction specs.

· NRCS will stake the site only one time. If stakes get moved during the construction, it is the contractor’s responsibility to re-stake.

· Any areas disturbed during construction must be restored to the condition before construction began.

· The Laper site consists of scrapes, ditch fill, a water level control structure, and spoil placement.

· Scrapes are to be irregular in shape.

· The price/bid schedule has been revised for this solicitation and it can be found in Amendment No.1 to the solicitation.

· Dormant seeding is not allowed until after Nov. 1st. Contractor may finish the earthwork and submit an invoice to NRCS. After Nov. 1st seeding must be completed and another invoice may be submitted.

Q: Will there only be one payment?

A: No, possibly two payments. One after completion of the earthwork and one after the seeding.

Q: Can a CAD file be provided?

A: Yes, upon request.

Q: What is to be done with the vegetation that is stripped from the topsoil?

A: Spread thinly in upland areas.

Q: What should be done with any trees that need to be cleared or grubbed out?

A: There isn’t any clearing and grubbing needed on the Laper site.

Q: Can contractors go back to the sites prior to contracts being awarded?

A: Contact NRCS and they will contact the landowner to determine if access is available.

11:15 Departed from the Laper site

11:25 Arrived at the Westra site

· Deni mentioned that all notes from the Laper site apply to this site as well.

· Westra site includes scrapes, tile break, and prairie seeding.

· Disabled tile must be either buried in the trench or removed from the site.

· Track ruts in scrapes are fine, it creates micro-topography for wildlife habitat.

11:45 Departed from the Westra site

12:30 Arrived at the Gay site

Brendon Blank (NRCS Soil Conservation Technician – Dodge County) joined the group.

· Deni mentioned that there is a rock outlet structure on the Gay site. Her recommendation is to make the rock source available so NRCS can approve the rock prior to hauling it to the construction site.

· Brendon mentioned that the electrical power will be disconnected from the pump station in early September.

· Berm must be constructed to route water onto DNR property during construction and then destroyed after construction to route water onto the easement.

· The only access to the construction site is along the west edge of the field.

· The easement has already been seeded to native grasses. It is recommended that disturbance be kept to a minimal as anything disturbed will have to be restored.

Q: Do sub-contractors have to be registered with CCR?

N: No, but they still must comply with all the clauses of this solicitation.

Any remarks or explanations by NRCS personnel at this site visit does not qualify the terms of this solicitation.