SOW_Lawncare_Erie_DRAFT SOW.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

1. Contract Title: Lawn and Ornamental Bed Treatment Services – Erie, PA VAMC

2. Background: The Erie, PA VA Medical Center requires a recurring lawn, ornamental bed, sidewalk, parking lot, and curb weed control treatments. Services are necessary to maintain healthy turf, reduce weeds, and ensure safe and presentable exterior grounds across these campuses. Treatments must be performed in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations while minimizing environmental impact and safeguarding the health and well-being of staff, patients, and visitors.

3. Scope: The Contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, tools, supervision, and materials necessary to perform comprehensive lawn and ornamental bed treatment, including fertilizer application, weed control, grub control, and seasonal vegetation management. Treatments shall include all parking lots, sidewalks, curb lines, signposts, utility poles, gravel, and rock beds requiring vegetation control. The Erie, PA VAMC shall require three (3) treatments per year.

4. Qualifications of Contractor Personnel:

• Contractor personnel shall be licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, qualified to apply fertilizers and herbicides in compliance with state and federal laws.

• Personnel must have a minimum of five (5) years of experience performing lawn and ornamental care treatments in institutional or healthcare settings.

• Copies of all licenses, certifications, MSDS, chemical precautions, and training records shall be provided to the Contracting Officer’s Represent (COR) or Point of Contract (POC) upon request.

5. Specific Tasks.

A. Service Standards:

Services provided shall include, but not be limited to:

• Apply pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control on parking lots, sidewalks, curb lines, signposts, utility poles, gravel, and rock beds.

• Apply fertilizers and grub control treatments.

• Provide treatments using only products compliant with all state/federal regulations.

• Remove debris, packaging, or leftover materials after each application.

• Each treatment session shall be pre-scheduled with designated COR or POC.

• Adjust treatment schedules for inclement weather as directed by COR or POC.

• The contractor shall only perform those treatment applications contained in the contract schedule, and no additional applications or treatments are authorized.

B. Seasonal Schedule - Erie

Treatment 1 - Spring – (APRIL) Crabgrass control, fertilizers, grub control, and weed control - parking lot, sidewalk, curb line, signposts, utility poles, gravel, and rock bed vegetation management.

Treatment 2 - Summer (JULY) – Crabgrass control, fertilizers, grub control, and weed

Treatment 3 - Fall (OCTOBER) – Crabgrass control, fertilizers, grub control, and weed

• The first treatment shall occur in April. Second treatment shall be roughly ninety

(90) days after the first treatment. Third treatment shall be one hundred and eighty

(180) days after the first treatment.

• The contractor shall notify the COR or POC at least 48 hours prior to any treatment and when any treatment will be delayed due to weather or other issues.

• All treatments must use organic fertilizers and herbicides; 2,4-

Dichlorophenoxacetic acid (2,4-D) is prohibited.

• Treatments must be conducted during normal business hours– Monday through

Friday – 7:30 AM – 3:30 – PM, excluding all federal holidays.

6. Safety & Environmental Standards:

All treatments shall be organic, safe for public spaces, and comply with EPA and state regulations. The contractor must notify the COR or POC of any potential hazards prior to treatment. Proper PPE must be worn by contractor personnel during all applications.

7. Reporting Requirements:

• The contractor shall furnish service reports no later than 48 hours after the completion of the service.

• The service report must include:

1.) Date of service:

2.) Area treated:

3.) Materials applied (including EPA registration numbers):

4.) Any issues or recommendations:

5.) Technician signature

• Reports shall be provided by printed copy or submission electronically to the

COR or POC for review and record keeping.

8. Performance Monitoring:

The Contractor’s performance will be evaluated for each contract year. Documentation will be maintained by COR and/or POC on the Contractor’s compliance with the performance measurements. Failure to meet the performance requirements could result in the loss of future consideration for a contract. The performance measurements are:

• The Contractor must perform services during seasonal schedule and must confirm dates with COR or POC.

• The Contractor will provide all reports within 48 hours after the completion of the service.

9. Place of Performance

Erie, PA VAMC – 135 East 38th Street, Erie, PA 16504

Erie, PA VAMC is roughly 331,000 square feet of lawn area, sidewalks, and parking lots.

10. Period of Performance - Will be determined at time of award.

11. Payment

Payment to the Contractor shall be made monthly, in arrears, upon receipt of a properly prepared invoice. Payment for services shall be at the rates specified in the

Price Schedule. All monthly invoices from the Contractor shall be electronically submitted through the Tungsten Network. Invoices must be approved by the VA

Representative prior to payment release. Invoices without the required information will be rejected. Invoices must contain the following: name, title, and phone number of individuals, Contractor’s billing address, invoice number and date, current purchase order number, and line-item number along with description, quantity, and price.

12. Records Management Requirements

1. Contractor shall comply with all applicable records management laws and regulations, as well as National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) records policies, including but not limited to the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. chs. 21, 29, 31, 33), NARA regulations at 36 CFR Chapter XII Subchapter B, and those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a).

These policies include the preservation of all records, regardless of form or characteristics, mode of transmission, or state of completion.

2. In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, all data created for Government use and delivered to, or falling under the legal control of, the Government are Federal records subject to the provisions of 44 U.S.C. chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33, the Freedom of Information Act

(FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), as amended, and the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended and must be managed and scheduled for disposition only as permitted by statute or regulation.

3. In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, Contractor shall maintain all records created for

Government use or created in the course of performing the contract and/or delivered to, or under the legal control of the Government and must be managed in accordance with

Federal law. Electronic records and associated metadata must be accompanied by sufficient technical documentation to permit understanding and use of the records and data.

4. [Veteran Affairs] and its contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of mutilation. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of [Veteran Affairs] or destroyed except for in accordance with the provisions of the Veteran Affairs records schedules and with the written concurrence of the Head of the Contracting Activity. Willful and unlawful destruction, damage or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701. In the event of any unlawful or accidental removal, defacing, alteration, or destruction of records, Contractor must report to [Veteran Affairs]. The

Veteran Affairs must report promptly to NARA in accordance with 36 CFR 1230.

5. The Contractor shall immediately notify the appropriate Contracting Officer upon discovery of any inadvertent or unauthorized disclosures of information, data, documentary materials, records or equipment. Disclosure of non-public information is limited to authorized personnel with a need-to-know as described in the [contract vehicle]. The Contractor shall ensure that the appropriate personnel, administrative, technical, and physical safeguards are established to ensure the security and confidentiality of this information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is properly protected. The Contractor shall not remove material from Government facilities or systems, or facilities or systems operated or maintained on the Government’s behalf, without the express written permission of the Head of the Contracting Activity.

When information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is no longer required, it shall be returned to [Veteran Affairs] control, or the Contractor must hold it until otherwise directed. Items returned to the Government shall be hand carried, mailed, emailed, or securely electronically transmitted to the Contracting Officer or address prescribed in the [contract vehicle]. Destruction of records is EXPRESSLY

PROHIBITED unless in accordance with Paragraph (4).

6. The Contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer's approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material and/or records generated under, or relating to, contracts. The Contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and [Veteran Affairs] guidance for protecting sensitive, proprietary information, classified, and controlled unclassified information.

7. The Contractor shall only use Government IT equipment for purposes specifically tied to or authorized by the contract and in accordance with [Veteran Affairs] policy.

8. The Contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any non-public

[Veteran Affairs] information that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract.

9. The Contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected from public disclosure by an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act.

10. Training. All Contractor employees assigned to this contract who create, work with, or otherwise handle records are required to take [Veteran Affairs]-provided records management training. The Contractor is responsible for confirming training has been completed according to Veteran Affairs policies, including initial training and any annual or refresher training.