Questions_and_Answers.pdf

Sheppard AFB, TX

Integrated Solid Waste Management Services

Questions and Answers

Solicitation Number: FA3020-15-R-0003

Question 1: If an offeror is contemplating a teaming agreement with a subcontractor, will the

Government accept the offeror's subcontractor's past performance information and questionnaires evaluation for this proposal?

Answer 1: If a teaming arrangement is contemplated, information as to the arrangement, including any relevant and recent past performance information on previous teaming arrangements with the same partner must be provided. If this is a first time joint effort, each party to the arrangement must provide a list of past and present relevant contracts. Past performance of teaming partners or subcontractors who are proposed to perform less than 30% of the work will not be evaluated. .

Question 2: Please confirm that all parties submitting an offer on this solicitation will be subject to providing the labor rates contained in the CBA for years 9/2015-9/2017.

Answer 2: The obligation of the successor contractor to pay its employees no less than the wages and fringe benefits required under the predecessor contractor’s Collective Bargaining

Agreement (CBA) is a statutory requirement.

Question 3: Section 1.0.1. Solid Waste Diversion: Please clarify if the ISWM Contractor can utilize diversion metrics from other base recycling entities (i.e. DECA, AFEES) to meet the required DoD goals and if the ISWM Contractor is ultimately responsible for meeting and submitting these diversion metrics/goals for the entire Base, or if the contractor will be held solely responsible for meeting DoD diversion goals of the entire Base without the other entities metrics.

Answer 3:

- The 55% is an Air Force Agency goal that each installation should strive to meet for its own;

therefore Sheppard AFB strives to reach 55%. It is a total installation effort not the responsibility of the ISWM Contractor to reach or maintain on its own. The ISWM

Contractor is a major contributor to the diversion rate. The ISWM Contractor may not report any weights, diversion, or otherwise unless the ISWM Contractor had direct effort toward the weights, diversion, or otherwise; meaning the ISWM Contractor had to either e.g.

collect, handle, store, sort, load, or bale to be able to take credit for it. Simply gathering data from other agencies is not permitted. The ISWM Contractor's reported weights must be supported by weight tickets as described in Reports section.

- The ISWM Contractor is not responsible for submitting the installation report; this report is submitted by the base Solid Waste Program Manager after all reports base wide have been consolidated and tallied.

- The ISWM Contractor is not solely responsible for meeting DoD Diversion goals.

Question 4: Section 1.0.1 Solid Waste Diversion: Please clarify. In the event that the ISWM

Contractor is allowed to use metrics from other base recycling entities, and is held solely responsible for the submission of the diversion metrics/goals of the entire Base, but is unable to obtain the data due to lack of cooperation from these entities, how will the Government handle this situation? Or is the ISWM contractor only responsible for submitting its data to the Base

QRP Manager and doing its part to assist in meeting the goals, but not ultimately responsible for actually meeting the required DoD goals?

Answer 4:

- The ISWM Contractor is not authorized to use metrics from other base agencies.

- The ISWM Contractor is not solely responsible for meeting the diversion metrics/goal of the entire base.

- The Solid Waste Program Manager is 100% responsible for collecting all the data base wide and submitting it to the Air Force.

- Unable to obtain data from other entities is not applicable to this contract so the Government will not have a situation to handle. However, if the ISWM Contractor does not submit the required reports in a timely manner so that the Solid Waste Program Manager has it to provide higher level reporting the Contracting Officer will address in accordance with

Service Summary (Reports).

- The ISWM Contractor will submit all reports to the COR, Lead COR, and Contracting. The reports submitted by the ISWM Contractor will be sent by the COR to the Solid Waste

Program Manager.

Question 5: Appendix B – Table B-2 indicates Historical Frequency and Container Size of

Recycling for interior recycling.

a. What size are the interior recycle containers, are they wheel toters?

b. Are these contractor owned or government owned?

c. Does the contractor go into the buildings to collect these or are the containers brought outside of the buildings by government staff for collection?

Answer 5:

a. The size of the containers varies depending on the size of organization. There are no set standards, so the sizes could range from small to 55 gallon containers, some with wheels, some without wheels and some are wheel barrel type. Some organization place bags full of product in the pick-up areas and some place lose cardboard on the ground due to the quantities (like four boxes) not being enough to warrant a container.

b. Currently, inventory is not kept on containers; however the majority of the containers are government /organization owned. The contractor may use their own containers - but must label them as contractor-owned.

c. Most locations are not “interior”, meaning the contractor does not go into the facility to obtain recycling. A list of those with interior recycling will not be provided because that changes and was set up by previous contractors. The majority of the organization set their containers outside for curb-side services.

Question 6: What is the value of the current contract?

Answer 6: This is proprietary information that has to be requested under the Freedom of

Information Act (FOIA). Our local FOIA representative is Ms Trena Peoples 940-676-769. The electronic mail address is 82cs.foia@sheppard.af.mil.

Question 7: PWS 1.2.4 Marketing – Is the contractor responsible for marketing, selling or finding the vendors who will buy the commodities for the government?

Answer 7: The contractor shall assist in the marketing, selling or finding vendors. The ultimate authority and responsibility rests with the Qualified Recycling Program (QRP) manager.

However, the ISWM Contractor will most likely be contacted and asked by vendors questions pertaining to recycling efforts. The Government will expect the contractor to pass along information and contacts to the QRP. Additionally, if the contractor knows of sources and/or better prices, the expectation is the contractor will share that information with the Government.

Question 8: PWS 1.4.3 GFE – Is the contractor responsible to buy the wire for balers, is this considered maintenance?

Answer 8: Yes, the contractor is responsible for buying the wire for the balers; this cost is not reimbursable.

Question 9: Appendix B: Common Use – on the site visit we noticed some common use containers around the dorms are these part of the contractor’s responsibility?

Answer 9: It is unclear of the exact area/location, making it difficult to provide a direct answer.

Common Use areas are itemized in Appendix B. However, please take notice to the additional information located under the chart “Locations are subject to change based on mission, construction, population, and requirements. Contractor can increase locations and efforts, change container sizes and frequency to accommodate usage”.

mailto:82cs.foia@sheppard.af.mil

Question 10: PWS 1.2.5 Composting – it states contractor will participate in an approved composting program off installation… Is the contractor required to do more than take the composting materials listed to an approved landfill that has a composting program?

Answer 10: Correct; the contractor will be required to take composting efforts collected on

Sheppard AFB to an approved composting site off the installation. Composting efforts cannot be disposed in the landfill. They must go to a source that will reuse, repurpose, or recycle the waste; such as but not limited to composting efforts being turned into mulch or fertilizer.

Question 11: PWS 1.4 Equipment – Contractor shall furnish containers that match the color scheme… is the contractor required to purchase new containers for this requirement.

Answer 11: No; new containers are not required. However, all containers shall adhere to the standards set in the Performance Work Statement (PWS); such as color, appearance, good/workable condition with no leaks, and easy to use. Reference PWS Paras 1.1.11. through

1.1.11.5.

Question 12: The Solicitation was released on August 7, 2015 but a Justification and Approval was released on August 11, 2015. In this Justification, it was stated that the current contractor's contract would run through February 29, 2015. If this is so, will the above referenced

Solicitation be given an extension for submission date or is it still due by August 31, 2015?

Answer 12: The Justification and Approval released on August 11, 2015 states the current contract will be extended “up to” six months (not necessarily all six months) via the FAR Clause

52.217-8, Option to Extend Services. At this current time, the proposal due date for solicitation, FA3020-15-R-003 will remain the same at August 31, 2015.