Site_Visit_Questions.docx

During the site visit it was noted that fence line contained a lot of vegetation. What is the length of the perimeter fence line to be maintained free of Vegetation? Length is found in Appendix A-1 of the PWS

For Munitions Storage Area, it is stated that the walls and 50 ft surrounding area are to be maintained at a 2-4 Inch length. What is the standard for the tops of the munition bunkers? Approx. 5 feet diameter around the vent stacks, the grass height to maintain is 2-4 inches. All other areas of the munition bunkers are 4-10 in height.

During the site visit it was noted that there were an abundance of mushroom growth and broadleaf growth throughout the visited areas. Is the current weed control being properly performed or are the materials being used not effective? Weed control is only accomplished in certain areas and is limited to limit broadleaf and clover growth. Mushroom is found primarily after an extended rainy period.

What products are currently in use for the Weed Control on Barksdale AFB? An approved Glyphosate formulation and an OTS weed and feed are primary components currently in use for Weed Control on Barksdale.

All dead animals are to be collected for disposal. What is the average number of dead animals recovered annually? Records for the number of dead animals collected do not currently exist.

All dead animals are to be collected for disposal. What are the size/ type of animals typically required to be removed? Animals typically collected are squirrels, birds, turtles, opossum, raccoons, and skunks. Occasionally, a stray dog or cat is collected. On rare occasion, a larger animal may need collection.

What is the area in square acres to be maintained free of leaves? Acreage to have leaf removal performed is located in Appendix A-1 of the PWS.

How many required samples or testing sites are required to be in accordance with the fertilization requirement? Four. Two along Barksdale Boulevard and two at Air Force Global Strike Headquarters.

Vegative pests are listed for this requirement but there are no animal/rodent pests annotated, What type of animal and rodent pests are to be controlled on the installation? Animals and rodents are not controlled as part of the grounds maintenance contract.

Shrubs, plants, hedges, and ground cover/vines shall be pruned/trimmed 3 inches away from buildings, fences, curbing, sidewalks, and other fixed obstacles. Is this distance correct? Yes.

What is the traffic or use of the artificial turf considered to be occasional, light, medium, high? Usage is found in Appendix A-1 of the PWS.

Is there a specific requirement for infill replacement and granule usage? There is no specific infill replacement. However, any infill replacement and granule usage should be specific to sports fields and be compatible with the maintenance equipment used to service the field.

Maintain a 6ft strip on each side of the perimeter fence (12 ft. total) as Semi- Improved Grounds. Is this requirement expected to extend on interior and exterior of fence line? Yes. However, in areas of improved grounds, the standard is improved grounds height for the base side of the perimeter fence.

Is the BASH to be maintained inclusive of noisemaking, propane cannon, similar type of equipment or just maintaining grass heights in BASH identified areas? The standards for grass areas around obstacles on the airfield are described in paragraph 1.3.2. Maintenance of the noisemaker equipment is not part of the grounds maintenance contract.

Volunteer tree removal in ditches shall not count against the allocation of removals indicated in paragraphs 1.8.1.4 and 1.8.1.5. Can this be explained? Due to their size and general location where found, volunteer trees are normally less than sapling size and either do not require stump removal or stump removal is impractical.

Is the administrative area provided by the Government going to offer access to the network of Barksdale AFB in order to provide better communication and connectivity? Access to the base network will not be provided. However, commercial internet service is available.

In the contracting area if needed will it be possible to mount an antenna for radio communications on a large scale? Any use of radio frequency transmitting equipment must be approved by AFGSC Spectrum Management. If radio use is approved the issue of actual mounting of a radio antenna would be a question for CE

Concerning the Barksdale AFB Airshow, will it be the responsibility to police the trash and debris that may be from this event by attendees and spectators? There may be some residual trash/debris. However, in comparison to the event itself, the amount of trash/debris to dispose will be minute.

Is there a wash rack type facility available for washing off equipment and vehicles used to perform the requirements of this PWS? The contractor staging area has a wash area, where equipment may be pressure washed. Other venues, off-base, have facilities for soap washing. The staging area wash rack does not have an oil water separator.

Who is the incumbent? ProDyn, LLC

What is the total contract amount for the last contract? The total amount of is $7,177,194.18

Was there significant changes, added to the contract since last award? Acreage has changed, fence lines requirements have been added, improved areas inside the Munition Storage Area have been added, maintaining an accurate, current Entry Authorization Letter for the MSA has been added, ditchline cleaning added, and the process for tree maintenance has been adjusted.

What is the dominant type of grass on the base? St. Augustine, Bermuda, and Bahia are the dominant grasses found in improved grounds.

How many personnel are performing the current contract? Proprietary? The government cannot provide this information. Contractor would have to obtain from the incumbent.

Vines appear to be growing along several places of the perimeter fencing. Are contractors required to keep fences free of vines? Yes. The work to clear the perimeter fence of vegetation is expected to be completed within the initial year of the contract, and then maintained clear throughout the remaining years of the contract.

Drainage ditches appeared to have standing water. Will contractors be permitted to use aquatic herbicide? No.

Document FA4608-18-R-0005, PDF page 190/200. Clause 52.222-17, Non-displacement of Qualified Workers (May 2014) (E.O. 13495) is in effect. Incumbent workers are afforded the first right of refusal and bidders should factor in any seniority as it pertains to Vacation leave. Question: Can the Government provide a seniority list with the Enter on Duty SCA date and SCA labor category so bidders can accurately account for seniority? No, the government cannot provide a seniority list. The information would have to be obtained from the incumbent.

Document FA4608-18-R-0005, PDF page 190/200. Question: Can the government confirm that 52.222-62, Paid Sick Leave Under Executive Order 13706, is in effect requiring up to 56.00 hours of sick leave per year for all SCA and Exempt employees working on this contract?

Please review Executive Order 13706 Paid Sick Leave in its entirety. A brief response to the question. Executive order 13706 reads (1) A contractor shall permit an employee to accrue not less than 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked on in connection with a covered contract. A contract shall aggregate an employee’s hours worked on or in connection with all covered contracts for that contractor for purposes of paid sick leave accrual.

A contractor MAY CHOOSE to provide an employee with at least 56 hours of paid sick leave at the beginning of each accrual year rather than allowing the employee to accrue such leave based on hours worked over time. If this option is selected follow the guidelines setforth in Executive Order 13706…

Question: Can the Government confirm that there is not a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in place for this contract? There is no Collective Bargaining Agreement in place for this contract

Document FA4608-18-R-0005, Section 3.2, PDF page 162/200. Excluded items from page count include, (a) Cover pages, (b) Table of Contents, (c) List of Figures, (d) Glossaries. Question: If a bidder desired to include an Acronym List, Transmittal Letter, and Executive Summary, would the Government exclude those from the page count? Yes they would be included as part of the page count

Last Three Contract yearly values Due to the additional work added to this requirement the previous contract values would not be relevant.

What has been added or subtracted since previous contract? Acreage has changed, fence lines requirements have been added, improved areas inside the Munition Storage Area have been added, maintaining an accurate, current Entry Authorization Letter for the MSA has been added, ditch line cleaning added, and the process for tree maintenance has been adjusted.

Were previous contractors able fulfill contract and provide top level quality as needed? Most contractors were able to fulfill contract. However, there were quality issues, mainly related to worker turn-over, seasonal change, and training consistency.

Where is offsite disposal location, please provide contact info. There are a number of locations that may accept wood waste. The Government has no preference.

Is Contractor responsible for disinfecting and fabric softeners, if so how often? Not a grounds maintenance question…..

What method are you seeking to use maintain surface drainage ditches. The Government has no preferred method to maintain surface drainage ditches. The ditches should be free of trash/debris and any volunteer tree growth for successful completion of the task.

How many approximate special event mowings, how many acres and what type such as improved/semi-improved? Since inception of the mandated Performance Work Statement (PWS) in 2008, there have been no special event mowings. However as indicated in the PWS, the Government does retain the right to re-direct work effort for events when advance notice has been received and results in no additional work load for the contractor.

Who is the current contractor? The current contractor is ProDyn, LLC.

What was the amount of the last contract award and for what time frame? The total award amount of the last contract is $7,177,194.18. The contract was for 5 years and 6 months.

Have the specifications for services increased since the last award? Acreage has changed, fence lines requirements have been added, improved areas inside the Munition Storage Area have been added, ditchline cleaning added, and the process for tree maintenance has been adjusted.

Will all vegetation be removed from the fences before the new contract starts? No. The work to clear the perimeter fence of vegetation is expected to be completed within the initial year of the contract.

Will the base be in compliance before the new contract starts? (i.e. crape myrtles pruned, ditches mowed, string trimming in the airfield, etc. ) No. However, the crape myrtles may be trimmed by the time the new contract starts.

On the site visit a DV route was mentioned several times. Will there be a separate CLIN for DV visits? No. If regular service is maintained there should be no need for DV/Special Events.

Please confirm if CLINS marked “(RESERVED)” in the description block will or will not be utilized in the future. Because higher headquarters mandates the CLIN structure and there are varying future funding projections, the RESERVED CLINS may be used at a future date.

Since Tree Pruning CLINS are reserved, if the need arises, will it be completed utilizing CE assets or will the contractor complete the work and bill to the Emergency Pruning CLIN? Per the PWS, tree pruning should only be accomplished to ensure adequate clearances over and around the infrastructure. Any tree pruning performed by the contractor should be billed against the Emergency Pruning CLIN.

What type of work will be required monthly during the 12 Months for CLIN 0017, Maintaining Vegetative Beds? All work necessary to ensure the plant beds are maintained in a neat and professional appearance at all times. The work effort is adequately described at paragraph 1.5.

Since pricing for Special Cuts is being requested in Appendix H, should CLINs 0030, 1030, 2030, 3030, and 4030 be marked as TBN vs (RESERVED)? No the CLINs should be marked as RESERVED.

Will Fuel Storage Tanks be inspected and 100% operational prior to new contract? Yes.

An annual work schedule is required but a daily completion reports is as well. Will the COR need a more accurate work schedule or will they use the daily reports for inspecting work/processing invoices? Daily reports are for inspection and assist with processing invoices.

Will the COR conduct inspections daily or weekly? Both.

Will Maps in Appendix B be provided upon contract award? Yes.

Is there any responsibility on the contractor other than planting and maintaining vegetation in the Urban Forest Sustainability Plan? The Urban Forest Sustainability Plan is provided as a guide/reference for local conditions.

Will CE consult with the Urban Forester and Arborist to decide what tree to plant and the location and then inform the contractor? Yes.

The last sentence in Section 2.0 of the Urban Forest Sustainability Plan is incomplete. Yes, it is. The sentence is not incomplete it continues on the next page. The sentence reads: Consider the space at the time of planting and also future plans for development that may intrude on the tree’s space.

If root pruning is needed, will it be conducted by the contractor and if so, what CLIN will be utilized to bill for this work? Root pruning is not expected to be performed under the grounds maintenance contract.

Am I understanding the specs right about Pest Control? Pest Control means the removal of certain poisonous plants, like poison ivy/oak and sumac. Not animals, like rodents, snakes etc.?

It is Section 1.1.9 of Attachment 1, page 7. Pest Control as indicated in the PWS refers to plant pests.

Section 1.7 of Attachment 1 page 11. It’s for Snow/Ice removal. It says RESERVED. Can you clarify that for me as to what that means? In order to maintain the paragraph numbering and CLIN structure of the PWS as mandated by higher headquarters, if portions of the PWS are not applicable or used, they should be marked as “RESERVED” in case of future use.

Section 1.7 of Attachment 1 page 11. It’s for Snow/Ice removal. It says RESERVED. Can you clarify that for me as to what that means? In order to maintain the paragraph numbering and CLIN structure of the PWS as mandated by higher headquarters, if portions of the PWS are not applicable or used, they should be marked as “RESERVED” in case of future use.

On page 3 of the Solicitation, CLIN Item NO 0001 last sentence states, "This CLIN is not separately priced; the requirement of this CLIN applies to all subsequent CLINS (0002-0034)." Does this state that CLIN 0001 is priced alone or does it need to be added to 0002-0034? CLIN 0001 is not priced, it’s an informational only CLIN.

We have the same question, as stated above, for CLIN Item 0035, on page 19 of the Solicitation. Can you clarify exactly what you would like to see here as well? CLIN 0035 is not priced, it’s an informational only CLIN.

What does RESERVED mean on the CLINS sections, 0004, 0008, 0019, 0020, 0021, 0022, 0030, 0032, 0040, 0042, 0044, 0045, 0046, 0047, 0052, 0053, 0054, and the option year CLINS as well? RESERVED MEANS the service on the CLIN is not currently required, however the service may be required in the future at which time we will request pricing and issue a delivery order.

In CLIN 0010, I am understanding to price this at zero for this bid purpose and only to price at the request of the CO/COR, is that correct? Yes, only price at request of CO or COR

In CLIN 0023, I am understanding this to price this at zero for this bid purpose and only to price at the request of the CO/COR? No this CLIN is to be priced. It’s description does not read the same as CLIN 0010

In CLIN 0031, is this just priced on the appendix H and not on the CLINS? YES. It states DO NOT PRICE THIS CLIN add pricing to Appendix H attached to PWS.

Should every CLIN have a minimum of $2,500 regardless of the statements stated on the CLIN? (Example: The CO or COR will issue a separate work order to renovate lawns when need is identified. Contractor will submit pricing for each work order at time of request. Do not price this CLIN.) NO, the minimum delivery order is $2,500.00.

On page 8 of the PWS, Section 1.1.12, can you explain what “Reserved” means? In order to maintain the paragraph numbering and CLIN structure of the PWS as mandated by higher headquarters, if portions of the PWS are not applicable or used, they should be marked as “RESERVED” in case of future use.

On page 11 of the PWS, Section 1.7, can you explain what “Reserved” means? In order to maintain the paragraph numbering and CLIN structure of the PWS as mandated by higher headquarters, if portions of the PWS are not applicable or used, they should be marked as “RESERVED” in case of future use.

On page 17 of the PWS, Section 4.2, can you explain what “Background” means? In order to maintain the paragraph numbering and CLIN structure of the PWS as mandated by higher headquarters, if portions of the PWS are not applicable or used, they should be marked as “RESERVED” in case of future use.

On page 6 of the PWS, Section 1.1.5, can you explain what “Reserved” means? In order to maintain the paragraph numbering and CLIN structure of the PWS as mandated by higher headquarters, if portions of the PWS are not applicable or used, they should be marked as “RESERVED” in case of future use.

Does BAFB have an irrigation system? Yes. There is one operational irrigation system in part of Plot 3. However, it is maintained separate from the grounds maintenance contract.

Are there any “RESTRICTED” areas that the contractor will be performing Grounds Maintenance work? Yes.

On page 112 of the PWS, the Plant Bed locations are listed; however, is there a set schedule for maintaining these Plant Beds? Or, is it as needed? An estimated workload is shown in Appendix A-1.

Attachment 1, page 8, 1.1.13 Artificial Turf. Would the 760 LitterKat and 926 Integrated Groomer be acceptable alternatives to the TCA1400? The two pieces of equipment indicated in the question are deemed acceptable alternatives to the equipment cited in the PWS.

Can we have the previous bid tabulations and/or incumbent bid for the solicitation? Proprietary-NO this information is classified as FOUO...