Janitorial Services: Christian Co. I-24 Rest Area & WC

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Purchases, on behalf of the Division of Maintenance, issued a Request for Bid (RFB) on June 14, 2023, for janitorial and grounds maintenance services at the Interstate 24 Rest Area and Welcome Center located in Christian County, Kentucky. Bids were due June 21, 2023, by 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time through the Kentucky Vendor Self Service e-Procurement system, with a tentative award date of August 1, 2023. The contract encompasses comprehensive custodial and grounds maintenance services for a 365-day service year running from August 1, 2023, through July 31, 2024, with four optional one-year renewal periods available. The contractor must provide a minimum of nine employees across three shifts—four employees on the first shift (7 a.m.–3 p.m.), three on the second shift (3 p.m.–11 p.m.), and two on the third shift (11 p.m.–7 a.m.)—plus a project supervisor available 24 hours daily. Services include facility cleaning (lobbies, restrooms, storage areas, and vending areas), parking lot maintenance (approximately 97 car spaces and 38 truck spaces), grounds maintenance, litter removal, snow and ice management, landscaping, and minor repairs for a facility with an estimated daily traffic count of 2,075 vehicles. The contractor must supply all labor, equipment, materials, supplies, and cleaning chemicals; maintain general liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and Kentucky workers' compensation insurance; provide uniforms for all employees; and conduct criminal background checks and National Sex Offender Registry verification for all staff prior to employment. Evaluation was conducted on a best-value basis allocating 95 points to the lowest price and 5 points to months in business, with a minimum of 24 months in business required and a maximum of 120 months evaluated for scoring purposes. Performance standards are measured using the Rest Area Maintenance Inspection Report form with a minimum acceptable score of 175 points out of 258 possible points, and liquidated damages of 10 percent of the daily contracted rate apply for non-compliance with staffing, safety, or inspection standards.

The solicitation includes qualified bidder preferences of 15 percent, which apply to nonprofits furthering purposes under Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 163, as well as reciprocal preferences for Kentucky resident bidders. All bidders, offerors, and contractors are required to submit an executed Annual Affidavit for Bidders, Offerors and Contractors affirming compliance with Kentucky campaign finance laws under KRS 45A.110 and 45A.115, with the affidavit effective for one year from execution and notarization required. The contracting opportunity does not identify a specific incumbent vendor or current contractor in the provided documentation. All contract documentation and responses were to be submitted electronically through the Kentucky Vendor Self Service portal, with vendors required to maintain active accounts and resolve all submission errors before final acceptance. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the solicitation documents; pricing is determined by competitive bid evaluation with the lowest qualified bidder receiving maximum price points, and supplemental temporary staffing rates are negotiated on a per-man-hour basis. Contractors must also submit a materials list for departmental approval prior to service commencement and comply with all Commonwealth procurement regulations and requirements outlined in the official Request for Bid documentation.