WMR001 Q and A 04.07.2025.pdf

WMR001 Q&A – 04/07/2025

Question Subject: References potentially disqualified due to selection committee

Question: We will request permission from all of our references, but if there is a public list of Response scorers, that would eliminate the potential of a lost email (since our reference wouldn't technically be able to tell us they cannot be a reference). Will those names be provided here?

Answer: WMR001 Strategic Sourcing Team members cannot be used as references.

WMR001 Strategic Sourcing Team members:

• Jan Ameen, Franklin County Solid Waste District

• Tessa David, Director, Devens Regional Household Hazardous Products

• Claire Galkowski, Executive Director, South Shore Recycling Cooperative

• Katelynn King, DEP, HHW branch

• Kathi Mirza, MassDEP, Branch Chief Municipal Waste Reduction Programs

• Lisa Muccini, Contract Specialist; Massachusetts Emergency Management

• J. Patrick Sullivan, Contract Administrator Recycling Depot City of Brockton

• Katherine West, Administrative Officer, Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab

• Marrcus Henry, DEP, Environmental Analyst IV

• Richard Blanchet, DEP, Deputy Division Director, Hazardous Materials

• Theresa (Terri) Wolejko, Assistant Director for Environmental and Hazardous Materials

Management Services Environmental Health and Safety UMass Amherst

• Nicholas (Nick) Rudolph, Environmental Health & Safety Officer, Office of Campus Planning and

Facilities Management SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY

Question Subject: 5 Year Pricing

Question: We previously bid on a "not to exceed" pricing basis so we could service any place in the Commonwealth for 5 years - and we have never charged an actual client that rate. On today's call we heard for the first time that the pricing can be adjusted annually via OSD, rather than annually to our municipal clients (still under the not to exceed 5-year contract). Will that strategy hurt our scoring? We bid 35% higher than the maximum we charged under FAC110.

Answer: Bidder pricing may be adjusted annually. For details on price adjustments, please refer to RFR Section 4.9 – Compensation Structure/Pricing. Pricing is evaluated within each category, with points awarded proportionally. Higher prices will result in fewer points during the evaluation process.

Question Subject: bid items

Question: Is it a requirement to bid on all 9 bid categories? We do not do HHW or medical, but would like to be considered for all other categories.

Answer: Bidders are not obligated to bid on all categories. They should only submit bids for the categories in which they are qualified.

Question Subject: waste volumes

Question: Can the Commonwealth provide the wastes types and volumes for each of the last five years for FAC110 Category 3 (Universal Waste--mercury, lamps, batteries?

Answer: This data may be available through the quarterly vendor sales reports, depending on the level of detail provided by the vendors. To obtain this information, a Public Records Request would be required.

How to Request a Public Record from the Operational Services Division: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/how-to-request-a-public-record-from-the-operational-services-division

Question Subject: terms and conditions

Question: Is the Commonwealth willing to negotiate the terms and conditions for this RFR?

Answer: The Commonwealth and selected bidders may negotiate additional terms that clarify the terms and conditions of the RFR. Negotiated terms may not change, conflict with, or dilute the terms and conditions of the RFR. Please see 801 CMR 21.07 for further information about contract negotiation.

Question Subject: travel time

Question: Category 9: Emergency Response Services states that rates must be inclusive of travel time. Is the Commonwealth able to change the format to portal to portal invoicing, as there is a large difference in travel times from the Western portion of the state to the Cape and Islands? Wrapping travel time for all areas of the state will likely lead to labor rates so high that few towns will actually use them.

Answer: Great point! We’ve updated the Bidder Price File (Category 9 Tab) to include a Transportation Rate table.

Question Subject: sharps and med waste volumes

Question: Can the Commonwealth provide volume reports from each district for categories 4 and 5 for

FAC110?

Answer: This data may be available through the quarterly vendor sales reports, depending on the level of detail provided by the vendors. To obtain this information, a Public Records Request would be required.

How to Request a Public Record from the Operational Services Division: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/how-to-request-a-public-record-from-the-operational-services-division

Question Subject: collection frequency

Question: How frequently is sharps collection required under this contract?

Answer: Refer to the Category 4 price file for details on various collection frequencies and intervals. The RFR does not mandate a specific frequency. Each eligible entity is responsible for selecting the collection frequency that best suits the needs of their facility.

Question Subject: type of sharps

Question: Are the sharps collected under this contract disposable or reusable (the difference will impact how the treatment method and price)?

Answer: The sharps are disposable, but the RFR is seeking reusable sharps containers.

Question Subject: contract usage

Question: How many individual sites utilize FAC110 for sharps and regulated medical waste each year?

Answer: This data is not collected by OSD.

Question Subject: tiered pricing--CAT 4 and 5

Question: Can we tier the pricing per container for both sharps and regulated medical waste (categories 4 and 5) on the price file? For example, if you send out 1-3 waste items per service the price is X, if you send out 4-10 per service the price is Y, if you send out 11-20 the price is Z, etc.)?

Answer: No. However, this could be listed in each price file under "other".

Question Subject: trans time

Question: Is the trans time for the collection of waste under Category 3 (Universal Waste--mercury, lamps, batteries) to be wrapped into the material collection rates and not invoiced separately as a minimum pickup charge (as is the case with other categories)?

Answer: Great point! We’ve updated the Bidder Price File (Category 3a & 3b Tabs) to include a Transportation Rate table.

Question Subject: extension

Question: Is the Commonwealth able to extend the bid deadline by one week to April 30th?

Answer: No. Unfortunately, the bid deadline is a firm date.

Question Subject: SST Members

Question: Section 3.4 says "Under no circumstances may a bidder use a WMR001 SST member as a reference." The is not a list of the SST's in the bid spec. Please provide a list of SST's so we don't inadvertently use them as a reference.

Answer: WMR001 Strategic Sourcing Team members:

• Jan Ameen, Franklin County Solid Waste District

• Tessa David, Director, Devens Regional Household Hazardous Products

• Claire Galkowski, Executive Director, South Shore Recycling Cooperative

• Katelynn King, DEP, HHW branch

• Kathi Mirza, MassDEP, Branch Chief Municipal Waste Reduction Programs

• Lisa Muccini, Contract Specialist; Massachusetts Emergency Management

• J. Patrick Sullivan, Contract Administrator Recycling Depot City of Brockton

• Katherine West, Administrative Officer, Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab

• Marrcus Henry, DEP, Environmental Analyst IV

• Richard Blanchet, DEP, Deputy Division Director, Hazardous Materials

• Theresa (Terri) Wolejko, Assistant Director for Environmental and Hazardous Materials

Management Services Environmental Health and Safety UMass Amherst

• Nicholas (Nick) Rudolph, Environmental Health & Safety Officer, Office of Campus Planning and

Facilities Management SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY

Question Subject: Bidder Response Form

Question: How does the Commonwealth want respondents to report on disposal facilities that are used for multiple categories in the Bidder Response Form? We have numerous facilities that apply to almost every category--does the Commonwealth want the same facility information copied for Category 1, Category 2, Category 3., etc. (this will result in a response form with dozens of additional redundant tabs)? When FAC110 was out for bid, the "Facility Information File" asked bidders to list the facilities for categories 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 on one tab and then list detailed facility information on a template tab, once per facility. It was a much more streamlined process.

Answer: Please list or copy each facility under its respective category. Since each category is reviewed and scored separately, it's important that all relevant information for each category is included in the corresponding tab.