Questions and Answers_FA8201-23-R-0009.pdf

Grounds Maintenance - Solicitation FA8201-23-R-0009 Questions and Answers

8 June 2023

1. Question: Fence lines identified in Appendix's A and B shall be trimmed to prevent vegetation growth in the fence, including removal of vegetation growing up the links of the fence. All areas shall be trimmed concurrent with mowing. Application of nonselective herbicides to control grass, weeds and vegetation around obstacles to include fence lines, shall only be allowed with the COR approval.

a. We are asking prior to the bidding process for approval/permission to apply nonselective approved pesticides and herbicides to assist in maintaining fence line requirements? 1.1.1 Mow

i. Answer: Nonselective pesticides and herbicides shall not be used on improved grounds to maintain fence lines. Per paragraph 1.2.2 of the PWS, the contractor shall obtain approval of the COR as a method of trimming in semi-improved grounds. See paragraph 1.3.3 for use herbicides on BASH grounds.

2. The Contractor shall be required to pick up debris, natural and manmade, prior to mowing any area.

a. Is the government providing a dumpster for the responsibility for disposal of policing debris or any other debris collected, or the contractor to be responsible for disposal and cost?

i. Answer: See paragraph 3.6 of the PWS. Trash may be disposed of in dumpsters…yard, shrub and tree waste shall be disposed of at an off-base sanitation facility at the contractor’s cost.

3. 1.1.4 WEED CONTROL: The Contractor shall use only approved pesticides as stated in DoD Instruction 4150.07, DoD Pest Management Program, End 4 para 4.2.2 and AFI 32-1053, Pest Management Program, para 4.7.4 and 4.7.6. All pesticides, herbicides, and rodenticides are defined in DoD and Air Force documents.

a. Will the contractor be allowed to mix and store all needed / approved pesticides and herbicides on Base?

i. Answer: Yes (see PWS paragraph 4.4.3.1)

4. 1.1.5 IRRIGATION – (Base & Little Mt 109.73 acres, Hospital 5.3 acres)- Total of 115.03 acres: The Contractor shall maintain, adjust, and repair existing lawn and drip irrigation systems during the growing season on irrigated improved grounds as identified in Appendices A, B-5 and F. The 75 CES Water and Fuels Maintenance Shop is responsible for backflow prevention devices connected to irrigation systems on Hill AFB and Little Mountain Test Facility. The Contractor's responsibility begins after the number two shut-off valve on the backflow preventer on culinary systems and after the booster pump on the secondary water system.

a. You have 115.03 total acres requiring operational status, how many total auto-irrigation / manual systems including drip, are installed that the contractor is required to maintain?

b. How many actual auto-systems, separate zones, spray heads, and rotary heads that are associated with the installed systems regarding this solicitation?

c. What is the average age of the automated systems install regarding this solicitation?

i. Answer: Appendix F provides available information on the irrigation systems. Average age of systems vary from 6 months to 40 years. Some older systems may have varying degrees of upgrades.

5. 1.1.5.1 OPERATION OF IRRIGATION SYSTEMS: This includes lawns, plants, flowers, landscaped areas, and all areas requiring manual watering. The Contractor shall ensure that plant life receives enough water as necessary to present a uniform and appropriate vegetation color without discoloration and barren areas resulting from the lack of water.

a. Are all the required plants, flowers, landscaped areas, and all other manual areas within 115.03 acres boundary areas.

i. Answer: Don’t understand the question

b. Please provide/describe information regarding manual irrigation system qty of 9 on where they are and how they are operated?

i. Answer: There are various areas that require manual watering due to wiring that was previously severed during construction or road work. See Appendix F for locations.

c. Are these 9-system installed in the ground and manually operated?

i. Answer: Yes

d. Or are these 9-system areas designed for the contractor to use above ground portable hoses with individual sprinklers attached to them?

i. Answer: No hose lines are currently required for monitor watering

e. How many acres /areas will require manual watering?

i. Answer: See Appendix F

f. The manual watering areas do they have sufficient water supply outlets, to assure that a contractor can apply sufficient and necessary water amounts?

i. Answer: Manual watering areas have installed irrigation systems

6. 1.1.5.2 MAINTENANCE OF IRRIGATION SYSTEMS: Replacement of pumps, controllers, clocks, and timers is not included in routine maintenance of irrigation systems, replacement of these items will be on a case-by-case, reimbursable basis, with written approval from the

COR.

a. When related associated functional components as listed above fail and replacement case by case become delayed, how is the contractor to perform and apply sufficient water supply to lawn areas?

i. Answer: This has not been a problem on the current or past contracts. The contractor will not be held liable for deteriorated turf and plants for reasons out of their control so as the contractor actively seeks out components from all available resources.

7. 1.1.5.3 WINTERIZATION OF IRRIGATION SYSTEMS: The Contractor shall be held responsible, at their own expense, for all irrigation systems damaged due to not properly winterizing the system in a timely manner. Repairs to irrigation equipment shall be accomplished prior to winterization.

a. Operational status is stated to be April 15 thru Oct 15 annually, when seasonal weather become determent to the timelines, will the contractor be allowed to delay start up or begin winterization ahead of stated timelines?

i. Answer: Temperatures play a role on when backflow preventers are turned on in the spring. The Water and Fuels Maintenance Shop will begin turning them on when freezing temps are no longer forecasted. Once backflow preventers are tested and turned on the contractor may begin pressurizing and testing systems and ready them for the season. Temperatures will determine when to begin irrigating and that will be collectively decided between the contractor and COR.

8. 1.1.5.4 IRRIGATION SYSTEM MARKING: The Contractor shall, upon request by the COR, identify by flagging or marking paint, irrigation heads, piping and controller wiring in support of excavation requests. This task may be required outside of the irrigation season.

Marking paint and flags shall be considered a reimbursable irrigation expense.

a. Without as-builts of installed systems locating piping will become impossible to mark/locate, please clarify if as-builts will be supplied?

i. Answer: As-builts are not available for 95% of the systems.

b. If as-builts are not furnished to the contractor, how do you intend for the contractor to move forward in marking or locate piping?

i. Answer: The contractor will be required to mark heads and valve/wiring boxes and make educated guess on main and branch lines.

9. 1.1.5.5 WATER CONSERVATION: The Contractor shall coordinate with the COR and the 75 CES Water Privatization COR to ensure watering schedules do not interfere with base water requirements and conservation efforts while ensuring healthy lawns. At the direction of the COR or CO, the Contractor shall reduce irrigation frequency due to water conservation efforts for HAFB.

a. When or if a contractor is restricted or limited for conservation purposes, will the contractor requirements to assure adequate/sufficient water supply to lawn, plants life lessened due to watering and lack of water?

i. Answer: In the event water restrictions are put in place, the contractor will not be held responsible for areas that deteriorate providing the deterioration is caused by the water restriction. The contractor shall be held liable for deteriorated areas on systems that are found to have operational problems due to a lack of maintenance.

10. 1.1.6 REMOVE DEBRIS/POLICE GROUNDS: Contractor shall remove and dispose of all man-made trash and natural debris to include but not limited to tree limbs, tumble weeds, dry brush, etc., to maintain a neat and professional appearance. Additionally, the contractor shall support semiannual base-wide clean-up events by disposing of natural debris gathered by base residents that are too large for refuge dumpsters. Debris will be disposed of in accordance with paragraph 3.6, "Solid Waste Collection and Disposal".

a. Will the government supply a dumpster for man-made and natural debris that is collected regarding policing and debris removal requirements?

i. Answer: See paragraph 3.6 of the PWS. Trash may be disposed of in dumpsters…yard, shrub and tree waste shall be disposed of at an off base sanitation facility at the contractor’s cost.

11. 1.1.7 LEAF REMOVAL

a. When debris is collected from leaf removal requirements, where is the contractor to dispose the debris?

i. Answer: See paragraph 3.6 of the PWS. Leaf debris shall be disposed of at an off base sanitation facility at the contractor’s cost.

12. 1.1.8.1 FERTILIZATION: The Contractor shall fertilize irrigated improved grounds as indicated in Appendices A and B-1 upon issuance of a work order from the COR. The Contractor shall perform a laboratory test of the soil in improved grounds and apply fertilizer, lime and other soil amendments using procedures appropriate for the soil conditions found, type of grass, and season to bring soil condition to that suitable for the vegetation being treated (CDRL A006).

a. The contractor will require an ample time-line/notice for any issuance of fertilization, in allowance to perform soil testing and to receive laboratory results prior to any fertilization application work order request?

i. Answer: Typically, the contractor will have 21 days’ notice of issuance of a fertilizing work order.

13. 1.1.10 LAWN RENOVATION: Sod and or seed repair shall be accomplished in accordance with industry standard practices and shall include removal, disposal and replacement of any contaminated soil that could prevent turf growth. The contractor shall provide sufficient watering of newly sodded and/or seeded areas to ensure a healthy establishment. Rates shall be negotiated prior to work order issuance.

a. If in the event contaminated soils become present, who will be responsible for proper disposal of the contaminated soil?

i. Answer: A modification to the PWS will be made to indicate a separate IDIQ contract under the Environmental Flight will be responsible for removing chemically contaminated soil.

b. • If the contractor, please provide the guide lines of disposal requirements?

i. Answer: N/A

c. • Explain/clarify what you mean or intend for a negotiated rate for lawn renovation?

i. Answer: The contractor will receive a request for proposal (RFP) from contracting officer for lawn renovation projects. The contractor will use the statement of work provided with the RFP to assist in providing that cost.

14. 1.1.11 PRUNE SHRUB, HEDGES AND OTHER PLANTS: oncoming traffic. Areas beneath shrubs and hedges shall be kept free (clean) of all grass, weeds, vegetation, and debris.

Volunteer tree growth seedlings shall be removed at no additional cost to the Government.

All other plants and shrubs on the installation not identified in the appendixes above will be maintained by the facility owners. (This section has no descriptive instruction/requirement for ornamental grasses or other ground cover types, only Blue Fescue is the only described plant life only a quantity of each pruning requirement!)

a. Please clarify a description of pruning of other plants not listed or described as shrub/hedge, or ornamental grasses?

i. Answer: Question is unclear

15. 1.2.1.1 MUNITION STORAGE AREAS (MSA): This work also includes all berms and elevated and low-lying areas within the MSA's. Vegetation on top and sides of bunkers will be cut in such a manor to prevent rutting and erosion.

a. How many elevated berms and bunkers are there at Hill AFB to be maintained/mowed?

i. Answer: See Appendix A

b. Will a contractor be able or allowed to use tractor/15 ft batwing with dual tires mounted on the tractor for mowing the sides and tops?

i. Answer: The contractor cannot use any equipment that will rut the berm or compromise the integrity of the bunker

16. 1.5.1.1 MULCH: Natural mulch in vegetative beds identified in these appendices shall be topped off with fresh mulch bi-annually. (One issue that we would like to address when mulch is installed on a consistent bases such as bi-annually, the decomposition process slows or diminishes. So eventually the existing mulch within the beds will require removal est.

every 2/3 years to compensate for the loss of decomposition, as to reduce the excessive build up.)

a. What is the square footage of beds that require mulch to be installed / re-freshed bi-annually?

i. Answer: Use line items 27 & 28 in Appendix A for this quantity

b. What is the required depth of mulch to be maintained at?

i. Answer: Varies by area but typically 2-4 inches

c. Do you have a procedure or process in place towards the removal of mulch service to be accomplished?

i. Answer: The PWS is being modified to state mulch is to be topped off with fresh mulch every 2 years and completely replaced every 5 years That process to accomplish that is determined by the contractor.

d. Appendix A does not provide any estimated quantity for mulch bed requirement regarding square footage?

i. Answer: Use line items 27 & 28 in Appendix A for this quantity

e. Will the Government Provide the Mulch?

i. Answer: No

17. 1.5.3.1 PURPLE HEART MEMORIAL (583 sq ft) est 6-9 plants per sq ft @-6/3500 @ 9/5250: The Contractor shall plant purple Petunias inside the Purple Heart Memorial on the hospital grounds as identified in Appendices A and B-4, two (2) weeks prior to Memorial Day. Flowers shall be planted close and evenly spaced to completely fill the heart shaped area. This service also includes weed control, adding fresh topsoil as necessary, maintaining borders/edging, and replacing dead flowers as necessary. Expired flowers shall be removed at the end of their normal life cycle and the bedded area cleaned and leveled.

a. Please provide clarification regarding the pot size of the purple Petunias to be planted?

i. Answer: Flowers that come in small containers on flats of 12 are suitable for this

b. Is the Memorial bed a rock bed or Mulch bed?

i. Answer: This area is typically bare soil however it currently has mulch.

When severe water restrictions are implemented, this requirement may be modified that the contractor lay weed barrier and mulch and display a purple heart wreath in leu of purchasing and planting flowers.

c. If it is Mulch will the bed require refreshed mulch after the planting process?

i. Answer: Permanent mulch is not anticipated. In the event it becomes permanent, a modification to the contractor will be accomplished.

18. 1.7.1.1 CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS (CDC): Snow and ice from entrances, exits, steps, walkways between parking areas, and evacuation routes shall be cleared no later than 0500 hours and playground surface no later than 0600 at both child development centers, Monday thru Friday and the second Saturday of each month. The contractor shall continue to maintain these areas as required while these facilities are open for business.

a. What is the quantity of measurement for the surfaces that require snow removal service?

i. Answer: Approximately 33,000 sf

b. For the 5:00am required timeline how will the contractor access the CDC area prior to 0500?

i. Answer: Playground areas will be accessible prior to 0500

19. 1.7.1.2 MEDICAL GROUP FACILITY GROUNDS: Snow and ice from entrances, exits, steps and walkways between parking areas on the Medical Group facility grounds, buildings 570, 545, 546, 547 and 249 shall be cleared no later than 0630 Monday thru Friday. The contractor shall continue to maintain these areas as required while these facilities are open for business.

a. What is the quantity of measurement for the surfaces that require snow removal service?

i. Answer: See line item 38 in Appendix A

20. Can we get previous contractor and price?

a. Answer: Maintenance Engineers, Inc with an IDIQ Max of $8,769,810.00