Janitorial Services: Boone Co. I-75 Rest Areas

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Purchases, on behalf of the Division of Maintenance, issued a Request for Bid (RFB) for janitorial and grounds maintenance services at the Interstate 75 Rest Area facilities in Boone County, Kentucky. The procurement seeks comprehensive custodial services for two rest area locations (northbound and southbound) with approximately 4,800 daily vehicle traffic counts, including building cleaning, grounds and parking area maintenance, snow and ice removal, trash collection and disposal, and minor mechanical and structural repairs. The contractor must maintain a minimum staffing of seven employees on the first shift, seven on the second shift, and six on the third shift for both facilities, plus one project supervisor available 24 hours daily. The contractor is responsible for providing all labor, equipment, materials, supplies, uniforms, blood-borne pathogen kits, and safety first-aid kits. The contract period runs from August 1, 2023, through July 31, 2024, with four optional one-year renewal periods. Evaluation uses a best-value ranking methodology allocating 95 points to price (lowest bidder receives maximum points) and 5 points to months in business (minimum 24 months required, with a maximum of 120 months evaluated). The original bid closing date was June 29, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time, with a tentative award date of August 1, 2023, and electronic submission was required through the Kentucky Vendor Self Service portal at https://vss.ky.gov. Contractors must maintain general liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and Kentucky worker's compensation insurance, with all employees required to pass criminal background checks and be verified against the National Sex Offender Registry.

Qualified bidder preferences are available for Kentucky Industries for the Blind, nonprofits furthering KRS Chapter 163 purposes, and qualified nonprofit agencies for individuals with severe disabilities, each receiving a 15 percent preference, while Kentucky Correctional Industries receives a 20 percent preference. Kentucky resident bidders are eligible for reciprocal preference against nonresident bidders from states providing similar preferences. The solicitation documents include an Annual Affidavit for Bidders, Offerors and Contractors required under KRS 45A.110 and 45A.115, which must be notarized and affirms compliance with campaign finance laws. Performance standards are monitored through the Rest Area Maintenance Inspection Report form (TC 71-126), which establishes a 258-point inspection system with a minimum acceptable score of 175 points; failure to meet performance requirements may result in contract termination after three or more penalty assessments, with liquidated damages of 10 percent of the daily contracted rate applied for noncompliance with staffing, safety, or cleaning standards. No incumbent vendor or contract award value was specified in the available solicitation documents. Vendors seeking additional information or clarification should contact the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet or access detailed specifications through the Kentucky Vendor Self Service portal.