Pre-proposal_conference_Q A.pdf

Pre-proposal Conference Questions and Answers AG-6395-S-16-0031

January 28, 2016

QUESTION #1: Property Owners are initially notified by program or contractor?

ANSWER #1: They are notified that they have infested trees by the ALB Program, then the contractor contacts them to develop the removal plan. The contractor is expected to manage a relationship with the property owner with regards to removals. Occasionally a Government Rep will be involved. (See Section 3.1, Permission to Remove Trees and Section and Section 2.0, Scope of Work.)

QUESTION #2: Quarantine of debris after removal – are there designated dump sites (Marshalling yard)?

ANSWER #2: Yes, we can provide the address and it’s within the quarantine and Tate Township so transport will not exceed 10 miles unless the quarantine were to be expanded.

Marshaling yard location: 2896 State Route 232, Bethel, Ohio 45106

QUESTION #3: How much work is on the books right now?

ANSWER #3: That number is constantly changing day to day. The hope is that the number declines.

Infestation is still being detected regularly and removals are happening daily. Specifics cannot be provided. The following website provides historical information: http://agri.ohio.gov/TopNews/asianbeetle/ Scroll down to “Media Updates”.

QUESTION #4: What is done with the material that is delivered to the marshalling yard?

ANSWER #4: There is a separate contract with the marshalling yard operator. They provide a mechanism to deregulate any regulated articles which is in the form of chipping. The deregulated size is 1” or smaller in two dimensions. Please note that branches of a diameter of ½” and larger, from host trees are regulated articles. During flight season, the contractor has to deregulate within 48 hours of receipt of material. Outside of flight season, there is no timeline. Chip size is designed to kill any larvae that may exist in the regulated material. (See Section 1.4, Definitions.)

Follow-up: With regard to the marshalling yard, after the chip process, the chips are able to be moved?

Yes. Chips can be made available to citizens within the quarantine.

QUESTION #5: What is the clause that requires 50% of the work be borne by the contractor?

ANSWER #5: Clause 52.219-14, Limitation on Subcontracting, which reads, “At least 50 percent of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel shall be expended for employees of the concern.”

(This clause is incorporated by reference. See 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders – Commercial Items.)

QUESTION #6: Does the certified arborist need to be on-site while the contractor is working or just need to be available for tech support?

ANSWER #6: It depends. Usually needed only for technical support and should be available to arrive at a work-site. If there is a full-host removal, the arborist is tasked with identifying the host trees. There may also be safety concerns that require arborist consultation. Infested trees are identified by USDA. When there are high risk host trees to be removed in a woodlot setting, the identification of host trees and removal are the responsibility of the contractor. There are instances where properties are not completely surveyed and identified as a full host removal. (See Section 2.1.1, Contractor Requirements.)

QUESTION #7: Where the trees are identified by the contractor, would the USDA need to be notified as additional trees are identified?

ANSWER #7: There is a government representative on-site/available that would be available for consult and approval for any collateral trees identified. The property owner would then have to be notified as well.

Because the approval of collateral trees is a collaborative effort, between the contractor, property owner and the USDA, the necessity for any particular trees to be collateral trees should be identified as soon as possible in the planning stages. (See Section 3.5.2, Full Host Removal and 3.9, Predetermined Collateral Trees and Collateral Damage.)

QUESTION #8: Is there a set timeline from when a task order is issued to when the task must be completed?

ANSWER #8: There is a 48 hour window to begin work, but as for the completion date, this will be different for each task order as property sizes and tree amounts vary. (See Section 2.5, Working Hours.)

QUESTION #9: Is it okay to use tablets for the removal plan to reduce paper?

ANSWER #9: An electronic version is acceptable as long as it can be printed for filing purposes.