Pre-Quote_Conference_Q-A.pdf

Paintsville Lake Maintenance Services Contract Pre-Quote Conference

Below is a copy of the presentation presented by the US Army Corps of Engineers followed by notes from the Question/Answer portion of the meeting. If there is a discrepancy between what is said in this document and what is written in the solicitation, the signed solicitation governs :

USACE PRESENTATION

Solicitation W91237-16-T-0004 – Maintenance Services at Paintsville Lake, KY. This procurement is a 100% set aside for Small Businesses only.

The Not-To-Exceed amount of this contract is $950,000.00 which includes all option periods.

This contract has a guaranteed amount of $3800.00 for the base year and $1,900.00 for each of the four option years, if exercised.

The base period of the contract will begin approximately 1 March 2016 and go through 31 December 2013, with four one year option periods. It is at the Government’s discretion whether or not to exercise the option. The contractor will be notified whether the government plans to execute the option. A modification will be issued to exercise the option.

There is one amendment to this solicitation, These amendments are posted to the WWW.FBO.GOV website.

Proposals are due on 27 Jan 2016 by 4:00 pm.

Electronic or facsimile proposals will be accepted. If you choose to send your proposal by FedEx or other carriers, and it is late, it will not be accepted.

This contract will be a firm fixed price procurement which means all costs, including administrative, need to be figured in the line items. No additional costs including overtime will be paid by the government.

This contract is also indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity which means the government does not know when delivery will be ordered or the quantity that will be ordered. All work under this contract will be ordered on Task Orders.

The quantities listed on the bid schedule are estimates only and are not guaranteed. They are to be used as an aid in preparing your bid. For example, depending on the weather, the project may order more mowing during a rainy season and less mowing during a drought. Some projects allow volunteers to perform some of the work. Also, the budgets passed by Congress will affect how much work can be ordered.

An Accident Prevention Plan and Quality Control Plan are required in this contract after award.

Examples can be found in the Exhibit section of the solicitation. Most issues with contractor performance deal with the contractor’s failure to perform Quality Control. The Corps of Engineers Safety Manual website can be found in Paragraph C-1.8.

This solicitation includes Dept. of Labor wage rates for the base year in Section H. At a minimum you shall be required to pay your employees these rates plus fringe benefits for performance under this contract. A good portion of the mowing may fall under Laborer- Grounds Maintenance. However, please contact the Department of Labor for guidance for which wage rates apply.

51% of the labor hours shall be performed by the contractor’s employees (See Limitation in Subcontracting clause 52.219-14).

The Contractor is required to show proof of insurance after award and to maintain it for the duration of the contract. Requirements are stated in Section H and contractors are encouraged to check with their insurance company prior to submitting a technical proposal.

An invoice shall be submitted monthly for each task order completed in the previous month. It is possible that the contractor who is awarded this contract will not receive their first payment for up to 60 days from the first day of work on the project.

To be awarded this contract, your company will have to be registered at WWW.SAM.GOV website. This website replaces www.ccr.gov.

Contractors MUST include in their proposal a signed copy of the SF 1449.

Contractors also MUST acknowledge all amendments by returning a signed amendment copy or completing Block 14 on the SF 33.

Failure to acknowledge amendments could make you non-responsive and no longer considered for award.

Only COMPLETED bid schedules will be accepted which includes the base year and all option years.

The Government will perform an analysis of your price proposal to determine the lowest price.

Once the low price contractor is determined to be responsive and responsible, an award will be made.

The contractor needs to be on-site on a regular basis or have a responsible contractor representative to direct the work. We have found out through experience that this is the best way for a contractor to be successful.

Site visits are strongly encouraged and will be available after the meeting. If unable to stay for this visit, another visit may be scheduled if project personnel are available.

If there is a discrepancy between what is said here today and what is written in the solicitation, the document governs.

QUESTION / ANSWER

Eileen Hodges, Deputy for Small Business, Huntington District, US Army Corps of Engineers offered to assist all contractors and provided her contract information, 304-399-5632. There is also assistance available at the Local Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC):

www.aptac-us.org. Ms. Hodges also provided the Huntington District USACE public website, which posts upcoming actions for bid: www.lrh.usace.army.mil/BusinessWithUs.aspx.

Question: CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE BOUNDARY MARKING PORTION OF THE CONTRACT?

Answer: This project has 55 miles of boundary we maintain. We have monuments to mark our property corners, and signs/tape along the lines. This work will entail working alongside our project personnel, who will identify the areas that need to be marked. It’s mainly when the leaves are off the trees, and not that often throughout the year.

Solicitation Section C-4

Question: CAN YOU GIVE SOME MORE DETAIL AFTER THE DRIFT AND DEBRIS REMOVAL

PORTION OF THE CONTRACT?

Answer: We have a very unique lake. We have no major tributaries so drift isn’t as much of an issue as other projects. We may order drift and debris removal after a large flooding event, but we typically handle this using a lake sweep. Last year was the first year since 1989 that we had any drift. A lake sweep entails picked up floating trash in the lake, trash on the shoreline, and cabling up any large logs that would be a safety hazard. (The government will provide the cable and clamps.) So as far as cones and cubic yards, we do not typically have enough debris to pile up, we just cable heavy items to the shoreline. In the rare occasion we order drift and debris removal, we will issue that work under a negotiated task order.

Solicitation Section C-6.5

Question: THE $950,000.00 LIMIT, DOES THAT MEAN WE CAN NOT BID ABOVE THAT AMOUNT?

Answer: No, there is no limit on your bid. That is the limit of the work that can be ordered on this contract. When $950,000.00 of work has been ordered, the contract is over, even if it is in the base year. To be clear the $950,000.00 is the 5-year limit of the contract. This is not the limit per year – it is the Base plus the 4 Option Years. It is also important to note this is not the guaranteed amount of the contract. The guaranteed amount for this contract is $3,800.00 for the Base Year and $1,900.00 for each Option Year. This means, even if the government does not order over $3,800.00 of work, you will be paid up to that amount for the Base Year. To provide some background, we used 60% of our contract capacity on our last maintenance contract.

Solicitation Section “Special Contract Requirements,” pages 54-55

Question: ARE WE PERMITTED TO WORK AFTER 4PM AND ON WEEKENDS?

Answer: Yes, but it must be approved before the work takes place. It is our preference to avoid work on weekends, because that is usually when we have the most visitors. However, we understand extenuating circumstances may arise, and we will discuss on a case by case basis.

For planning purposes, you should assume work will be during business hours Monday-Friday.

Solicitation Section C-1.5

Question: HOW WERE CLEANINGS PREVIOUSLY ORDERED?

Answer: We provide you with a task order that includes a calendar. We lay out when we want each area cleaned. I identify the bid items we are ordering, and will provide those together on a task order to you. So, you will know in advance, and not on the same 7-day deadline as mowing.

Solicitation Section C-1.3

Question: WHAT IS THE 7-DAY MOWING RANGE?

Answer: This is for mowing only. When we issue a task order for mowing the contractor has 7-days to complete the work. If there is rain, you will get a rain day added to the end of the deadline. We don’t want you mowing in the rain, because safety is of the utmost importance.

We are partners with our contractors. We strive to be very fair and not gouge, slight, or be unreasonable.

Solicitation Section C-2.4

Question: CAN WE HAVE THE PREVIOUS YEARS PRICING?

Answer: Yes, we have copies of those here to hand out, or you can contract Patrina Singleton, 304-399-6936 and she can get them to you.

Question: I SEE WE HAVE TO PROVIDE A BOAT. CAN WE STORE IT HERE ON THE PROJECT?

Answer: No, we do not have the facilities. You will have to bring it in and out when you need

it. You can also rent a slip at the marina, but that isn’t under our management.

Solicitation Section C-6

Question: IS THERE ANY STORAGE AVAILABLE ON SITE FOR CONTRACTORS? HOW DID THE

PREVIOUS CONTRACT STORE THEIR EQUIPMENT?

Answer: No, we do not. The previous contractor lives locally.

Solicitation Section “Special Contract Requirements ”

Question: HAVE THERE BEEN ANY CONTRACTOR ACCIDENTS?

Answer: I am proud to say we have not had a contractor accident since 1982. I tell all of my employees and contractors, “If it isn’t safe, please don’t do it.” There is nothing here worth injuring anyone. If you don’t feel safe, speak up and we will work out a plan to make it safe.

Solicitation Section C-1.9

Question: IS THIS STRICTLY A LOW-PRICE CONTRACT – NOT A TECHNICAL NOT PREVIOUSLY

ISSUED?

Answer: Yes. This is 100% low price. You will be reviewed based on the bid sheets you provide. PLEASE think about your total price: insurance, benefits, transportation cost all need to be included in your bid items because you will not be reimbursed separately for them. It all needs to be included.

Solicitation Section “Instruction to Offerors”

Question: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEVEL 1 AND LEVEL 2 CLEANING?

Answer: Level one is this office only. Level 2 includes our public restrooms and the grounds.

Solicitation Section C-3.2 and Section C-4.3

Question: ARE THERE ANY UNIONS INVOLVED?

Answer: No.

Question: DO YOU ORDER WORK FOR THE WHOLE YEAR AT ONCE?

Answer: That honestly depends on our funding. Currently we are under a Continuing Resolution Act (CRA), so we are only received a few month’s funds at a time. Therefore, we can only order services that will be provided during that funded time frame. In a perfect world we could order everything up front, but that is out of our hands and truly depends on how our funding is issued.

Solicitation Section C-1.5

Question: THE CONTRACT LIMIT – DOES THAT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE

GOVERNMENT ESTIMATE?

Answer: Not in the way you are thinking. The $950,000.00 comes from historical contract awards. Bid what you feel each line item will take to complete the work as well as covering the insurance and other costs previously mentioned. When we issue a negotiated task order, we will compare your quote to a government estimate. It is important to note that negotiated amounts are not for the cost of each line item, only how long each party feels it will take to complete the work. The line item cost is fixed upon the award of the contract.

Solicitation Section “Special Contract Requirements”

Question: I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL PROVIDE A BACKHOE AND THE

CONTRACTOR SHOULD JUST SUPPLY THE OPERATOR. ALSO, IS THE CONTRACT RESPONSIBLE

FOR TRANSPORTING THE BACKHOE?

Answer: You are correct. The contractor is to provide the operator while the government will provide the backhoe with fuel. The contractor is responsible for transporting the backhoe to the worksite, but you will not need a trailer. You will be able to tram it anywhere it’s needed.

Solicitation Section C-5

Question: AND THE CONTRACTOR IS ALSO TO SUPPLY A BOAT?

Answer: Yes, the contractor shall provide a pontoon boat with a wench. This is for setting buoys and cabling logs.

Solicitation Section C-6

Question: WHAT EXACTLY DO WE NEED TO PROVIDE WITH THE QUOTE?

Answer: You will need to sign and return the first page of both the original and amended solicitation, as well as complete bid sheets for the entire contract – base year and options. You can email or fax these to Patrina Singleton, and request acknowledgement of your submission.

If you are sending your submission by mail or FedEx, please note if it is not received by 4pm on 27 January, it will not be accepted.

Solicitation Section “Instructions to Offerors”

Question: IS THE WALKING TRAIL INCLUDED IN THE CONTRACT?

Answer: No, we only take care of the trash cans at the beginning and end of the trail.

Solicitation Exhibit B

Question: HOW MUCH NEGOTIATED WORK IS INVOLVED?

Answer: We honestly do not do a lot of negotiated work. We put the most of our resources into mowing, cleaning, and janitorial services. In the past we have issued a task order for brush cutting, as well as one for some sign repairs, but those are rare. We are here to work alongside of our contractor to make our project as beautiful and nice for the public as we can.

Solicitation Section C-1.4

Question: IS THERE A SEASON OF WORK?

Answer: Not officially, but the majority of our task orders are issued from April through October. We may have some January-March cleanings, but most take place in conjunction with our mowing. We often will have volunteers clean our office during the winter months.

Weather and funding dependent we order 1 mowing cycle in April and 2 per month May-Sep.

More rain will require more mowing and vise versa.

Solicitation Section C-1.5

Question: IS THE CONTRACTOR REPSONIBLE FOR TRASH SERVICES?

Answer: Contractors are responsible for emptying all trash cans in designated areas. There is a dumpster available at the maintenance shop.

Solicitation Section C-4.3

Question: IS THERE A MINIMUM NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WE SHOULD HIRE?

Answer: That is at the discretion of the contractor. We tell you the work we want accomplished, and it is up to the contractor to decide how that work is done.

Solicitation Section C-1.28

Question: DO WE HAVE TO REPORT OUR MAN HOURS TO THE GOVERNMENT?

Answer: No you do not. Any labor disputes will be handled by the Department of Labor.

Solicitation Section C-1.29

Question: PART-TIME LABOR IS A CONCERN. HAS THAT BEEN A PROBLEM IN THE PAST?

Answer: We cannot speak for the previous contractor. However, we would like to point out that FBO has a place for “Interested Vendors.” Historically this has been a good source to find sub-contractors.

Solicitation Section C-1.28

Question: HOW ARE WE TO SUBMIT OUR INVOICES AND HOW ARE PAYMENTS HANDLED?

Answer: Contractors are to submit their invoices directly to project personnel. This can be in person or electronically. The project personnel will then process the invoice for payment and you will receive EFT payment directly to your account. Please see “Special Contract Requirements” on page 54 of the Solicitation.

Solicitation Section “Special Contract Requirements”

Question: IS THE CONTRACTOR PERMITTED TO SPRAY HERBICIDE AROUND FENCES TO AIDE

WITH WEED TRIMMING?

Answer: No, herbicide application is not covered under this contract.

Additional notes from David Jackson, Resource Manager, Paintsville Lake:

When you bid, I would recommend that you do not bid so low that you put yourself out of business. We had a contractor default because he did not bid realistically. It was a mess for everyone. If you underbid, you hurt everyone. You have the option to adjust wage rates with each option year when the new wage rates are incorporated.

PATRINA SINGLETON

Purchasing Agent Huntington Contracting Branch

CONCUR:

BRANDON H. LEWIS

Procuring, Contracting Officer Huntington Contracting Branch