Attachment 1_Columbia Lawn Maintenance PWS FINAL.docx

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

COLUMBIA CAMPUS LAWN CARE MAINTENANCE

for Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Columbia Campus, Howard County, Maryland

1. GENERAL INFORMATION:

1.1. Description of Services: This is a non-personal commercial services contract to manage and maintain lawns, specific areas, and landscaping at the FCC Columbia Campus. Performance shall be according to the standards herein. The contractor shall perform to standards in the contract and comply with all local, state, and federal regulations during the service performed. The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform grounds maintenance as defined within this Performance Work Statement (PWS).

1.2. Background: The FCC Columbia Campus is comprised of four distinct geographical areas (see Place of Performance under para 3). These areas require regular grounds maintenance activities including tree, shrub, plant maintenance and leaf/debris/stick removal. These areas are used by visitors as well as employees and contractors of the FCC. Grounds maintenance is required to keep these areas safe, accessible, and in a state of good maintenance befitting a facility managed by the FCC.

Grounds maintenance activities required by this contract will occur throughout the year. Some activities will be seasonal in nature or occur irregularly. Columbia Campus grounds must remain free of debris and overgrown vegetation in order to provide a safe site for visitors and employees.

2. DEFINITIONS

Throughout this PWS, terms are defined as follows:

Contracting Officer (CO): The Government employee who is authorized to enter into, administer, and/or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings.

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR): An individual designated in accordance with subsection 1.602-2 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and authorized in writing by the contracting officer to perform specific technical or administrative functions. The COR is not authorized to make any commitments or changes that will affect price, quality, quantity, delivery, or any other term or condition of the contract.

Columbia Campus: The destination of where the contract is to take place, see Technical Exhibit 1.

Contractor's On-Site Supervisor: An employee of the Contractor who is a Supervisor who shall be located on the project grounds to continually oversee the work at the time it is being performed, and who shall have authority to represent the Contractor in dealing with the Government, and all subcontractors. The Supervisor shall attend the pre-work meeting, all performance evaluation meetings, and be physically on site when any work is being done. The On-Site Supervisor may also be the person who does the work, but they must have the above-mentioned authority.

3. GOVERNMENT WILL FURNISH. None.

4. CONTRACTOR WILL FURNISH

4.1. General: The Contractor shall furnish all equipment, repair parts, and supplies, to manage and maintain the grounds and landscaping according to the standards set herein. The Contractor shall be required to bring to and remove from the campus, that equipment needed to perform the work involved in this contract on a daily basis. All items shall be of industrial quality and shall be approved by the COR prior to use. No on-site storage of any kind is available. The Government shall not be responsible for the protection of contractor equipment.

In addition to items specified in Section 9.0, Specific Tasks to be performed, the following constitutes a partial listing of items the Contractor shall be required to furnish:

a. Grass seed and/or sod

b. Fertilizer

c. Soil amendments, mulches, top soil, bark chips

d. Petroleum, oil, and lubricants

e. Trucks and trailers for transporting equipment and materials

f. Hand tools

g. Hand-operated, power-driven equipment

h. Equipment repair parts

i. Personnel clothing, safety equipment

4.2 Permits and Responsibilities: The Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining all necessary licenses and permits, and for complying with any applicable Federal, State, County, and Municipal laws, codes, and regulations, in connection with the services of the work within this requirement.

4.3 Public Safety: The Contractor shall maintain the public use areas so as to provide the best possible conditions for safe use by visitors. All areas in which the contractor performs work will be marked or signed in such a manner that any person entering the area will be aware of work being done in the vicinity.

4.4 Lost and Found: It is the responsibility of the Contractor to instruct his employees that all articles of possible personal or monetary value found by the Contractor’s employees must immediately be turned in to the COR or other designated person.

4.5 Pre-work Meeting: The CO will schedule a meeting with the contractor within 5 business days following the contract award to discuss the requirements of the contract. At the pre-work meeting, the Contractor shall submit, in writing, for approval of the COR, the following items:

a. List of employees who will be working for the Contractor at the FCC location

b. Full Name, address, and telephone number of authorized supervisor.

c. Description of uniform and vehicle emblem.

d. Work schedule for the first month of the contract.

e. List of all subcontractors employed to perform specifications of the contract. This list is to include all license numbers, expiration dates etc.

f. Insurance Certificates

g. Contractor's Abbreviated Accident Prevention Plan (AAPP)

4.6 Other Personnel: The Contractor shall furnish supervisory, administrative, and direct personnel to accomplish all work required.

5. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

The period of performance shall be for one (1), twelve (12) month base period and four (4) twelve (12) month option periods. Options shall be exercised at the discretion of the Government.

Table 1 - Period of Performance

6. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE (See Technical Exhibit 1):

The services specified by this task order shall be performed at the areas outlined in Technical Exhibit 1.

6.1. Lawn Maintenance Locations:

6.1.1 Area #1 – HFDF Center is located at:

9200-9201 Farmhouse Lane; Columbia MD 21046

6.1.2 Area #2 – FCC Laboratory is located at:

7435 Oakland Mills Road; Columbia MD 21046

6.1.3 Area #3 – FCC Laboratory – Side Lot Mowing adjacent to Area #1 is located at:

9200 Farmhouse Lane; Columbia MD 21046

6.1.4 Area #4 – Back Field Mowing is located at:

9200 Farmhouse Lane; Columbia MD 21046

7. HOURS OF OPERATION FOR LAWN CARE MAINTENANCE SERVICE:

All lawn maintenance care shall be completed during regular business hours of Monday through Friday (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, all federal holidays and building closings) between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). All activity is limited to these business hours unless approved in writing by the COR. Activities must be during the mowing season which is April 1st – November 30th.

8. LAWN CARE MAINTENANCE SERVICE

8.1. MOWING SCHEDULE: The mowing season is from April to November for each period of the task order. The contractor shall not bill for services outside of the mowing season. The mowing schedule for all areas are listed below:

Table 2 – Mowing Schedule

Columbia, MD 21046

Columbia, MD 21046

*During every April and November, the Contractor shall bi-annually perform tree pruning of the magnolia suckers (as needed), leaf and debris removal around the laboratory building, flower beds, shrubs, tree rings and cracks alongside the curb.

9. SPECIFIC TASKS AND REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide the services for maintaining grounds and landscaping as listed below. No work shall be performed on Federal Holidays or on weekends without the prior approval of the COR.

The Contractor shall be responsible for all repairs or replacement items which have been damaged during groundskeeping operations, including but not limited to, irrigation systems, damaged lawn areas, signs, structures, etc.

9.1. GRASS CUTTING – AREA 1: HFDF CENTER:

For the area outlined in the Mowing Schedule above as Area 1, the lawn grass shall be maintained at a uniform blade height of not more than three and one half (3.5”) inches and according to the mowing schedule outlined in Table 2 above. (see Technical Exhibit 1 – Columbia MD Satellite Mow Areas).

The roadsides along Farmhouse Lane (outside the black fence) shall be cut to a width of 8–10 feet from the black fence up to the entrance gate (approximately ¼ mile). (see Technical Exhibit 4 – Farmhouse-PSHSB HFDF Mowing Area 1).

In conjunction with grass cutting, areas around the structures and headstones shall be trimmed; walks and roadways shall be cleared of all trimmings and debris. The contractor is directed to take caution near building and other property structures and ensure that equipment discharge is aimed away from them.

a. Mowing/Lot Cleanup: The Contractor shall:

1) Ensure grass is cut once per week and grass is to be maintained at heights indicated in Table 2.

2) Ensure all clippings will be removed from mulch beds, sidewalks, curbs, roadways and other saved areas at each mowing.

3) Use care so that trees, shrubs, building and signs are not damaged.

4) Perform string line trimming around trees, shrubs, buildings and signs will be done after each mowing as needed. (Use of herbicides around the perimeter of FCC buildings is NOT authorized.

5) Perform edging of curbs and sidewalks will be done with each mowing.

9.2 GRASS CUTTING – AREA 2: FCC LABORATORY:

For the area outlined in the Mowing Schedule above as Area 2, the lawn grass shall be maintained at a uniform blade height of not more than three and one half (3.5”) inches and according to the mowing schedule outlined in Table 2 above. (see Technical Exhibit 1 – Columbia MD Mow Areas-Zones). The contractor is directed to take caution near building and other property structures and ensure that equipment discharge is aimed away from them.

a. Mowing/Lot Cleanup: The Contractor shall:

1) Ensure grass is cut once per week and grass is to be maintained at 3.0 to 3.5 inches.

2) Ensure all clippings are removed from mulch beds, sidewalks, curbs, roadways and other saved areas at each mowing.

3) Use care so that trees, shrubs, building and signs are not damaged.

4) Perform String-line trimming around trees, shrubs, buildings and signs will be done after each mowing as needed.

5) Perform edging of curbs and sidewalks will be done with each mowing.

9.3 GRASS CUTTING – AREA 3: FCC LABORATORY – SIDE LOT

For the area outlined in the Mowing Schedule above as Area 3, the lawn grass shall be maintained at a uniform blade height of not more than six (6”) inches and according to the mowing schedule outlined above. (see Technical Exhibit 1 – Columbia MD Satellite Mow Areas-Zones). The contractor is directed to take caution near building and other property structures and ensure that equipment discharge is aimed away from them.

9.4 GRASS CUTTING – AREA 4: BACK FIELD MOWING

For the area outlined in the Mowing Schedule above as Area 4, the lawn grass shall be maintained at a uniform blade height of not more than six (6”) inches and according to the mowing schedule outlined in Table 2 above (see Technical Exhibit 1 – Columbia MD Satellite Mow Areas-Zones). In conjunction with mowing of fields, trim around antenna poles. The contractor is directed to take caution near building and other property structures and ensure that equipment discharge is aimed away from them.

9.5 MULCH HARDSCAPES, WALKWAYS, AND ASPHALT WEEDING:

Remove all weeds from the mulch hardscape, walkways, pavers and cracks alongside the curb. Remove all weeds growing within the mulch zone, outlined in Technical Exhibit 3 - FCC Lab Dimensions and mulch beds and around the front mulch bed at the FCC Farmhouse, one (1) time annually during mowing season by spraying weeds located in sidewalks and hand-pulling weeds within the mulch beds. Mowing season is designated as the beginning of April through the end of November.

Remove all weeds from asphalt and sidewalk areas, two (2) times during mowing season, by spraying weeds located in sidewalks and asphalt areas.

9.6 MULCH HARDSCAPES ANNUAL MAINTENANCE

The Contractor shall uniformly apply double shred hardwood mulch to all mulch beds as required maintaining a depth of 2-3 inches. The only mulch beds require (see Technical Exhibit 3 - FCC Lab Dimensions) and the EB Farmhouse building. The FCC Lab currently has approximately 3,235 square feet (SF) of mulch beds. All mulch areas are to be cultivated annually. Mulch shall be kept off plants and walkways. The Contractor shall remove grass and weeds prior to mulch application and keep mulch out of the crowns of shrubs and off buildings, sidewalks, light standards, and turf. Existing mulch shall be cultivated (raked) and kept free of soil, debris, and weeds.

9.7 FALL/SPRING PICK-UP AND CLEARING

Twice per year, in the spring and fall, the Contactor shall perform tree maintenance, shrub maintenance, plant maintenance, leaf/debris/stick removal around ALL the Columbia, MD building structures outlined in Table 2 and Technical Exhibit 2 - Columbia MD Buildings.

9.8 TREE MAINTENANCE

The Contractor shall maintain all trees, shrubs, hedges, etc. in accordance with all the applicable recognized industry standards. The site directly around the FCC Laboratory has approximately fifteen (15) mature trees that are included in this effort. Services shall also include the removal of magnolia suckers from all magnolia trees in the spring and fall season. Trees must be trimmed such that no limbs or other tree vegetations is within 4 feet of Lab facility.

9.9 SHRUB MAINTENANCE

The Contractor shall maintain all bushes, shrubs, hedges, etc. in accordance with all the applicable recognized industry standards. The Contractor shall trim, brush, and prune all bushes, hedges, and shrubs directly around ALL the buildings outlined in Table 2 and Technical Exhibit 2 - Columbia MD Buildings.

9.10 LEAF REMOVAL

The Contractor shall perform leaf removal operations around the Columbia, MD locations buildings during fall and spring seasons or as otherwise required by when trees start and complete dropping their leaves. This shall include removal of all debris within twenty-five (25) feet of all structures and buildings outlined in Table 2 and Technical Exhibit 2 - Columbia MD Buildings. Leaf and debris removal shall occur around the building, flower beds, shrubs, tree rings, cracks alongside the curb and the rooftop. While performing this action the Contractor shall rake, clean and remove leaves from around every building.

10. OPTIONAL TASK(S): LAWN CARE MAINTENANCE SERVICE

At the government’s discretion during any performance period, but only upon the Contracting Officer’s written authorization to proceed, the Contractor shall provide unscheduled maintenance/special events services. These services do not include services required under any other Section of this PWS. This optional work may be directed on a labor-hour basis, within the ceiling established under this contract, or may be performed on a Firm Fixed Price basis agreed upon in a bilateral modification.

The ceiling value of this CLIN is TBD. The ceiling value represents the FCC’s maximum financial liability. All work performed beyond the ceiling amount is at Contractor’s own risk.

10.1 UNSCHEDULED MAINTENANCE/SPECIAL EVENT:

Contractor shall annually walk the perimeter around the fence with the COR or other designee to identify areas where trees and/or other vegetation are damaging the perimeter fence or that will potentially impact the integrity of the fence. (See section 9 above). An estimate for the cost of identified issues will be expected within five (5) days of identifying issues. Remediation tasks will include tree removal, clearing brush and other vegetation, spraying to kill vegetation along perimeter fencing, etc. Contractor shall respond to the COR within 24-hours after being notified of tree or vegetation issues that are impacting the integrity of the perimeter fence, roadways, and or ground.

See attached spreadsheet for list of potential tasks for pricing.

11. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Monthly reporting shall be provided to the CO and COR electronically via email outlining the details of work performed during the previous month. Report should include pictures of work performed as well as the date and time.

12. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY

12.1 To ensure that the Government receives the services for which it contracted, the Government will only pay for services received. The Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) determines if the Contractor meets the performance standards of the contract, as well as provides guidelines for how and when surveillance will be performed. It ensures timeliness, effectiveness and that the Contractor is delivering the results specified in the contract. Government contract quality assurance will be performed per the PRS surveillance schedule.

12.2 Performance Requirements Summary Table. The PRS is a listing of significant performance objectives with associated performance standards that will be monitored and inspected by Government personnel. Each performance objective represents a critical function as identified by the Government at the time of contract award. The performance standard represents the minimum acceptable level of Contractor performance. The performance objectives and standards represent only the critical components of this Contract, and do not excuse the Contractor from performance of other responsibilities identified in the PWS. All services described in this PWS are subject to inspection/surveillance by the Government.

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY

12.3 Surveillance. 100% inspections by the COR or other designee will serve as the surveillance methods. If the COR discovers deficiencies and/or receives complaints, the COR will alert them to the contractor for correction.

12.4 Quality Control. The Contractor, not the government, is responsible for quality control actions necessary to meet the quality standards set forth by the contract. The Government reserves the right under the Contract Terms and Conditions--Commercial Items (FAR 52.212-4) to inspect and test the services called for by the contract, to the extent practicable at all times and places during the term of the Task contract. The Government will reject non-conforming services.

12.5 Unacceptable Performance. When performance is determined unacceptable, as defined in the Performance Requirements Summary, the COR will inform the contractor that performance is unacceptable and provide written documentation. By initialing and dating the documentation, the contractor is only acknowledging notification of unacceptable performance. Disputes in surveillance should be referred to the Contracting Officer.

The COR will notify the Contracting Officer of unacceptable performance. If any of the services do not conform to contract requirements, the Government may require the contractor to perform the services again in conformity with contract requirements, at no increase in contract amount. When the defect(s) in services cannot be corrected by re-performance, the Government may:

a. Require the Contractor to take necessary action to ensure future performance conforms to contract requirements.

b. Reduce the contract price to reflect the reduced value of the services performed.

c. If the Contractor fails to promptly re-perform the services, or to take the necessary action to ensure future performance in conformity with contract requirements, the Government may:

1) By contract or otherwise, perform the services and charge to the Contractor any cost incurred by the Government that is directly related to the performance of such service;

2) Issue Cure Notice;

3) Terminate the contract for Government convenience; and / or

4) Terminate the contract for Cause.

12.6 Correction of Non-Performance of Work. Contractor shall employ an adequate quantity of personnel to ensure that any services found to be not in compliance and therefore not acceptable, shall be made acceptable by the performance or re-performance of the work, where such re-performance is possible, during the first business day after non-compliance has been observed by or reported to and verified by the COR.

WORK SCHEDULING. The Contractor is not required to perform services on the following recognized Federal holidays.