Amendment_2_-_Questions_and_Answers.pdf

Solicitation P17PS01051, Amendment 2

Questions and Answers

1) Who was the contractor when this service was previously operated?

From 1993 to 2015, the park concessioner – Delaware North Companies, Parks and Resorts at Yosemite (“DNCY”) – operated a shuttle bus from a remote parking area in Wawona and the Mariposa Grove. The NPS closed the Mariposa Grove for restoration in July 2015.

Mariposa Grove shuttle service was omitted from the current concessions contract, which was awarded in 2016.

The requested service provides transit connections that differ than past operations. Service will be provided between a newly constructed visitor parking facility near the park’s south entrance station and the Mariposa Grove. The new parking facility is located only 2 miles from the grove, allowing shorter service cycles, shortened headways, and more efficient delivery of park visitors.

2) Where did they office and dispatch service from? Where did they park the buses?

The park concessioner operates the shuttle bus system in Yosemite Valley, under the terms of the concessions contract. Until the summer of 2015, DNCY managed the Wawona-based shuttle from concessions facilities in Yosemite Valley. The buses were parked in an open parking area located in Wawona. In winter months, the buses were relocated to Yosemite

Valley.

3) Where did they fuel the buses?

DNCY fueled buses at a public service station that is located in Wawona. The station is operated by the concessions contractor, so at the time DNCY essentially provided their own fuel.

4) Was maintenance performed in-house or outsourced or both? If outsourced, who and where?

The park concessioner maintains a staff that includes heavy-duty equipment mechanics.

Routine or light-duty maintenance was performed at the concessioner’s shop in Yosemite

Valley. Heavy-duty maintenance was outsourced (at the concessioner’s option) to a shop in

Sacramento. The Government does not control or manage a contractor’s business relationships with suppliers or subcontractors, so the NPS does not have knowledge of the specific locations or identities of persons or corporations who performed heavy-duty maintenance on the concessioner’s behalf.

5) Did the previous contractor have mechanics on-duty for minor repairs?

DNCY had in-house mechanics who were available to conduct routine maintenance, minor and major repairs from the shop in Yosemite Valley, during two shifts.

6) Did the current contractor locate a facility to use as a shop and if so, where was it?

There is no current contractor for the service described in the performance work statement.

The response to question #4 explains where the former concessioner/contractor performed maintenance requirements for buses that were used in the Wawona Shuttle.

7) If optional service is requested (Badger Pass Ski Area), this will require 6 more buses (5 for service 1 spare). Is the park service providing the extra buses? If not, what are the minimum requirements for bus equipment the Contractor must supply?

The NPS would either purchase or acquire additional buses through pre-existing short-term rental contracts that are managed by the General Services Administration (U.S. Government).

The contractor will not be required to provide additional buses. The NPS finds that 40-foot, 40-passenger, low-floor, heavy-duty transit buses provide the most efficient form of transit equipment available, to our knowledge. Tight roadway curves and parking area constraints make it very difficult to operate buses larger than 40 feet at Glacier Point.

8) Since this service ended in 2015, how and where were the buses stored?

The NPS presently owns a fleet of 22 diesel-electric hybrid transit buses that is presently assigned to the park concessioner, with all buses stored in Yosemite Valley. The buses are presently being maintained and operated within the park under the terms of the concessions contract. The concessioner will surrender the buses when they are needed for service after this Mariposa Grove contract is awarded.

9) Were they periodically started and driven to keep the seals lubricated and the batteries recharged and in good shape?

Buses are rotated in regular transit service in order to keep the mechanical systems operational and the batteries fully charged.

10) If the buses have been sitting, will the park service reimburse all cost associated to bringing the bus back up to operating standards?

As indicated by the responses to previous questions, the buses are not idle and remain operational at this time. The NPS anticipates no start-up costs as buses are re-assigned from one contractor to another.

11) If the battery packs for the hybrid drive system have not been taken care of during this time, this could cause them to have a shorten life expectancy. Will the park service cover battery pack replacement?

As indicated by the responses to previous questions, the batteries have been charged and re-charged during regular operations. If the Mariposa Grove contractor determines that battery packs require replacement after taking custody of government equipment, the NPS would be responsible for replacement costs under the “extraordinary” maintenance and repair clause in the performance work statement. Replacement of battery packs is not considered to be routine maintenance.

12) At the South Entrance Station parking lot, would the Contractor be allowed to have a small office trailer with electricity for the drivers to have a break area and an office for the manager?

The parking area was designed to accommodate park visitors and their vehicles.

Unfortunately, there is no space available for a trailer. See Section 3.4, on page 15 of the performance work statement:

No services will be provided by the Government. No employee housing, bus maintenance facilities, fueling facilities, employee break area, changing room or office space will be provided by the Government. Yosemite National Park consists of rugged, mountainous terrain with steep slopes and federally-protected wilderness areas. No buildings or trailer pads will be provided by the NPS within (or beyond) park boundaries.

13) Please clarify if offerors have to name and provide resumes for a General Manager, Operations Manager, and a Maintenance Manager. For an operation this size this is unusual.

The NPS has an obligation to affirm that employee qualifications meet the minimum experience requirements for the key management personnel that are described under Sections

4.4.1, 4.4.2 and 4.4.4. The NPS has not requested information about a general manager, and is primarily concerned with those employees who will have direct supervisory and managerial responsibilities for services provided within the park. The Contractor’s

Representative is viewed as a mid-level administrative officer or business manager who should be the primary contact for the coordination of any schedule changes or service disruptions, billing and payment. Section 4.3.3, on page 15 of the performance work statement, states as follows:

Prior to commencement of services under this contract, the Contractor shall propose to the NPS CO (Contracting Officer) the names and resumes of the three primary supervisory employees: the Contractor's Representative, the Transit Manager and the

Supervisory Mechanic responsible for the performance of work required under this contract.

Prior to installing a replacement Contractor's Representative, Transit Manager or

Supervisory Mechanic, the Contractor will submit employee resumes to the NPS CO for review and approval.

14) Please confirm that the Contractor has to provide support staff at the stops to answer questions and direct people where they need to go.

All roles and responsibilities defined by the performance work statement have been carefully considered, are clearly specified, and will be fulfilled by the contractor, including those roles and responsibilities defined by Sections 4.4.7 and 5.1.1.

15) Please confirm that the Contractor’s employees will be required to have hand held radios to communicate with both our system and NPS. Is the park service providing these radios or the Contractor?

All roles and responsibilities defined by the performance work statement have been carefully considered, are clearly specified, and will be fulfilled by the contractor. Buses will be equipped with on-board radios that remain Government property. However, the Government cannot provide hand-held equipment for contractor employees. The NPS will cooperate with the contractor by providing information about available frequencies and other technical requirements.

16) Regarding 5.4.1 Extraordinary Maintenance please confirm all maintenance of the buses is the Contractor’s responsibility. To clarify, if there is maintenance over and above normal wear and tear, will the park service cover the costs of repair?

Extraordinary maintenance is defined in Section 5.4.1 and explicitly excludes the scheduled maintenance identified in Appendix B. As stated in Section 5.4.1, The Government reserves the right to determine whether extraordinary maintenance will be performed by the Contractor, park personnel, or a third party.

If the Government determines that extraordinary maintenance is necessary and should be performed by the Contractor, then any such services would be considered additional work for which the contractor would be due additional consideration. The Contractor is not responsible for absorbing costs resulting from the performance of extraordinary maintenance.

See Section 5.4.1 for details.

Authorization for the contractor to perform any additional work, including extraordinary maintenance, must be authorized by the Contracting Officer (and accepted by the Contractor) through a bilateral modification to the contract.

17) Will the park service cover accident repairs for accidents that are not the Contractor’s fault when the driver of the other vehicle is uninsured?

Yes, the NPS is responsible for recovering any costs from accidents when the contractor and contractor’s employees are absolved of fault. We require the contractor’s employees to cooperate by calling the park’s law enforcement rangers when an accident occurs, so the NPS employees can collect driver names, contact and insurance information.

18) Can the due date be extended by one week to allow proposers the ability to process the response to questions and research facility, fueling, and maintenance options?

As a result of this Amendment 2, the solicitation response date is extended by one week to

July 26, 2017 at 7:00PM PT.