Site Showing Minutes 01 20 10.doc

Solicitation No. AG-6215-S-10-0005

Amendment No. 2

Attachment 1

SITE SHOWING

Cowley County Big Caney Site 18 Solicitation No. AG-6215-S-10-0005 January 20, 2010 Meeting Location:

Bank of Cedar Vale

602 Cedar Street Cedar Vale, Kansas.

Time:

10:30 A.M.

Attendees:

Curtis Janssen, NRCS, Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR)

Ron Rader, NRCS, District Conservationist

Paul Larson, NRCS, Civil Engineer Crystal Blackburn, NRCS, Contract Specialist Bruce Wells, NRCS, Water Resources Specialist Charles Jones, NRCS, Inspector Contractor Attendees: Scott Hunter, Cedar Crest Farms; Jon Simms, TP Environmental; Mark Doolittle, Cobalt Construction Co.; Cyndie Hynds, Prudent Tech; Charley Buchanan, Muller Construction; Randy Bohlken, Thomas Construction; DeWayne Jarred, Jarred Dozer and Backhoe; Morris Dible, Dible Construction; Ron Johnson and John Evans; Construction Management Services; Lynn Underwood, TL Enterprises; Steve Coffman, S.R. Coffman Construction, Inc.; Jack Lewis, Bergkamp Construction.; Mike Hoffman, Alan’s Excavating; John Reed, Mies Construction; Representative, National Building, Inc.; Mark Blake, Blake Excavating.

Items Discussed:

Ms. Blackburn presented the following items at the initial meeting location.

Minutes of the site showing will be posted on Fed Biz Ops as amendment no. 2 to the invitation for bids (IFB).

The expected magnitude of this contract is between $250,000 and $500,000. The solicitation was issued under full and open competition with no set asides.

There has been one amendment to the initial solicitation, which changed the site showing location, and must be acknowledged.

Bids will be due on Thursday, January 28, 2010, at 2:00 P.M. local time. Bids should be submitted to the USDA, NRCS Kansas State Office, 760 South Broadway, Salina, KS 67401.

Please notice that the solicitation does not contain a clause for faxed bids. Faxed bids will not be accepted.

This project is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). In addition to the clauses discussed below, the contract will contain clauses specific to that Act, including a requirement for recipient reporting. Please review those requirements carefully.

Contract Clauses

The following is a summary of selected contract clauses included in the contract. Please review the full text of these clauses and others not mentioned here carefully prior to submission of bids.

Section F.2 – Clause 52.211-10 Commencement, Prosecution, and Completion of Work The Contractor is required to start the job within 5 calendar days after the date of notice to proceed and complete the entire contract not later than 126 calendar days after receipt of notice to proceed.

Section F.3 – Clause 52.211-12 Liquidated Damages If the Contractor does not complete the work within the 126 calendar days the contractor shall pay liquidated damages to the Government in the amount of $300 for each calendar day of delay until the work is completed and accepted.

Section H.4 – Clause 52.236-75 Maximum Workweek:

The maximum workweek that will be approved is 5 days a week Monday – Friday, ten (10) hours per day.

Section I.1 – Clause 52.204-11 ARRA Reporting Requirements The successful bidder must complete reporting requirements in accordance with the clause.

Section I.1 Clause 52.222-6 Davis-Bacon Act The Davis Bacon Wage Rates are included in the contract. This is a construction contract and payrolls must be submitted. Employee interviews will be conducted to ensure that all laborers and mechanics employed or working on the site will be paid in accordance with Davis Bacon Wage Rates and not less often than once a week.

Wage determinations and the Davis-Bacon poster shall be posted at all times by the Contractor and any subcontractor at the primary site of the work.

Section I.5 – Clause 52.228-1 Bid Guarantee

Each bidder must furnish a bid guarantee equal to 20 percent of the bid price or $60,000, whichever is less. Failure to do so may be cause for rejection of the bid.

Section I.6 – Clause 52.228-15 Performance and Payment Bonds – Construction

The successful bidder must furnish performance and payment bonds each with a penal amount equal to 100 percent of the contract price.

Section I.1 – Clause 52.228-14 Irrevocable Letter of Credit

Bonds furnished as bid guarantees, payment and performance bonds may be secured by irrevocable letters of credit. Please refer to the clause language for specific requirements.

Section I.7 – Clause 52.236-1 Performance of Work by the Contractor The successful bidder must perform with its own organization at least 20 percent of the total contracted work.

Section I.12 – Clause 4I-52.249.70 Time Extension for Unusually Severe Weather If the weather experienced at the project site during the contract period is more severe than the adverse weather anticipated for the project location, and the severe weather actually causes a delay to the completion of the project, is beyond the control and without the fault or negligence of the contractor, the contractor may request for a modification for extension of the performance time due to unusually severe weather. Adverse weather days should be recorded by the contractor and must prevent work for 50 percent or more of the contractor’s scheduled workday.

SAFETY

The Contractor needs to submit a safety program and have it approved prior to Notice to Proceed. A copy of this will be made available to the inspector and all items are to be followed. It does not have to be large in volume but needs to address how you handle safety on the job. The first day on the site the contractor should meet with the COTR to discuss safety concerns on the job.

A first aid kit must be provided on site. Emergency phone numbers and addresses for doctors, police, etc., must be posted on site.

Every work crew must include an employee who has a current first aid certificate from the Mine Safety and Health Administration, American Red Cross, or other state-approved association. This would also apply if you are the only contractor.

Prior to beginning work the Contractor is responsible for contacting Kansas One Call at 800-334-7233 (800-Dig-SAFE) to locate any utilities in the area.

In hard hat areas everyone shall wear hard hats at all times. The entire job site, except offices, is considered a hard hat area. The area must also be posted as a hard hat area. Signs at least 3’ x 4’ worded with red letter on a white background will be erected at access points to the job site and will be labeled CONSTRUCTION AREA – HARDHATS REQUIRED BEYOND THIS POINT.

Equipment will be inspected on site by NRCS COTR and inspector as needed.

Bid Items

Mr. Janssen discussed the solicitation’s 11 bid items at the initial meeting location. He noted the techniques planned for the job are new to NRCS Kansas – specifically the lime amendments to the earthfill – and are rather complicated. He advised prospective bidders to study the plans and specs carefully and pointed out the methods required would make the job time consuming. Additionally, the specific pieces of equipment identified in the specs for mixing/working the soil and lime must be used. No substitutions will be approved.

The soil/lime mix should be processed in 9 inch lifts. Each lift must be prepared before the next lift is compacted. Processing areas are identified on the drawings. Mr. Janssen stressed that lime cannot be stockpiled on-site due to moisture requirements.

NRCS will require testing of soil/lime mixture before it can be placed. The first few tests should go to the soils lab. Later tests can be handled on site by the inspector.

Mr. Janssen also pointed out that the fence on the job site would have to be removed during construction and replaced afterward.

Question: Does the soil/lime mixture have to sit for 72 hours before placement?

Answer: No. The testing will eliminate that need.

Question: What is the required compaction for the lime treated soil?

Answer: 95 percent of standard proctor density.

Question: Is the contractor responsible for testing costs?

Answer: No. NRCS will bear the cost of testing.

Question: Can the contractor use bagged lime instead of bulk?

Answer: Yes. And it is ok to store it as long as conditions do not cause premature hydration, such as in a covered trailer.

Question: Can the contractor use ash instead of lime if it is more cost effective.

Answer: No. No substitution of materials will be allowed.

Question: Will the Watershed District draw down the water level behind the dam during construction? If not and if a heavy rain occurs during construction while the slope is excavated and causes damage to the dam or dam failure, who is responsible?

Answer: No drawdown is anticipated. NRCS has consulted its soil mechanics lab regarding this issue. The lab’s guidance indicated the risk is not significant enough to warrant a drawdown. However, NRCS is investigating the issue further to confirm whether additional procedures should be put in place.

Question: Does the contractor have to maintain the 2 to 1 slope during construction or can the dam handle vertical slope?

Answer: The contractor must maintain the 2.5 to 1 slope during construction.

Question: Would NRCS consider an alternate method for mixing the lime into the soil, like mixing it in place?

Answer: NRCS would be willing to look at an alternate method proposed by the contractor but can offer no guarantees whether alternate methods will be approved.

Question: Can the contractor take necessary water from the lake? And is using a tank an acceptable way to measure it?

Answer: Water required for watering may be taken from the dam’s stilling basin or the reservoir. Water must be measured using either a meter or calibrated tank.

Question: What is the anticipated start date for construction?

Answer: Approximately 30 days after bid opening depending on weather. The outside temperature must be at least 40°F for lime application.

Question: Will Saturdays be allowed as make up days if the contractor gets behind?

Answer: As the solicitation is written, that would not be allowed.

The group departed for the job site immediately following Mr. Janssen’s presentation.

PLANS and SPECIFICATIONS:

Once the party reached the job site, Mr. Janssen briefly discussed the project plans and drawings. Ms. Blackburn provided some extra copies of plans and specs.

Mr. Janssen noted that the specs indicate the contractor will have to build an access road for equipment mobilization and pointed out the contractor would also be responsible for removing the road after project completion unless the Watershed District decided to keep it. The 5.1 acres of seeding includes reseeding the road after demobilization.

Mr. Rader pointed out the area where soil had sloughed down the slope on the back side of the dam. That area has been sprayed by the Watershed District to remove overgrown vegetation. However, Mr. Janssen noted the entire back slope of the dam will be excavated and filled during the project.

Question: What are the requirements for foundation treatment? Is testing of the subgrade required?

Answer: No – proof roll only.

Question: Can the contractor use the top of the dam as a haul road?

Answer: Yes, as long as it’s not too wet.

Question: Are there survey benchmarks and do they have northings and eastings?

Answer: Yes, there are 4 and they do have northings and eastings.

Question: Is the contractor responsible for replacing the benchmarks? Do they have to be placed by a registered land surveyor?

Answer: The contractor is not responsible for replacing the two benchmarks that will be removed during excavation. The contractor is responsible for installing the two new as-built monuments, but NRCS will conduct the surveying involved (See spec 92).

Question: Will the contractor be able to get an AutoCAD version of the plans?

Answer: Yes, either AutoCAD or dxf file.

Question: Did NRCS perform exploratory core sampling of the dam? If so, can the prospective bidders have access to those results?

Answer: Yes, samples were taken twice. The soils mechanics report will be incorporated into the solicitation amendment when the site showing minutes are posted.

Question: Can the prospective bidders have access to the original dam plans?

Answer: Yes, bidders may visit the NRCS Howard field office to obtain a copy of the original as-built plans.

Question: Is there much small rock in the field?

Answer: There is some. Prospective bidders should walk the area and see for themselves.

After the discussion, prospective bidders inspected the site and the meeting adjourned.