SUWANNEE RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT INVITATION TO BID NO. 16/17-014 AO 2017 CHEMICAL APPLICATION SERVICES Table of Contents Section Title Page 1 Introduction 2 2 Bid Schedule 2 3 Instruction to Bidders 2 4 Key Points 3 5 Scope of Work 5 6 Bid Response Form 8 Suwannee River Water Management District 9225 CR 49 Live Oak, FL 32060 386.362.1001 386.362.1056 (Fax) 800.226.1066 (Florida only) www.mysuwanneeriver.com 1
SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION The Suwannee River Water Management District (District) is accepting bids from experienced contractors to apply chemical herbicides on District lands for pine timber release, timber stand improvement (TSI) and site preparation purposes. The application of chemical herbicides for release, TSI, and site preparation purposes is an important tool used to control woody vegetation and ensure that both established pine and pine seedlings survive to maturity and that the site meets its Desired Future Condition. Excessive hardwood competition within these areas can affect both the growth and development of the pine timber, as well as inhibit the successful application of prescribed fire. The initial contract shall be for a period ending September 30, 2017, with the potential for two subsequent one-year renewals based upon the prior year s performance by the Contractor, the same terms and conditions or terms more favorable to the District, and mutual agreement of the District and the Contractor. SECTION 2 - BID SCHEDULE March 27, 2017 Release of Invitation To Bid (ITB). April 6, 2017 Bids due prior to 11:00 a.m. at District Headquarters in Live Oak. Opening will occur at this time.* April 10, 2017 Recommended bid submitted for approval. May 1, 2017 Anticipated start date. *Denotes a public meeting. All times denote Eastern Standard Time/Daylight Savings Time (EST/DST). SECTION 3 - INSTRUCTION TO BIDDERS 1. Delivery of Bids: Bidders, also referred to as Respondents, are required to complete and submit one (1) original, one (1) copy of the Bid Response Form included in Section 6 and one (1) digital copy of the original and Bid Response Form. Bid forms shall be sent in one envelope to: Pennie Flickinger, Business Resource Specialist III Suwannee River Water Management District 9225 CR 49 Live Oak, FL 32060 Phone: 386.362.1001 2. All bids shall be submitted in sealed envelopes with the following clearly marked in large, bold and/or colored lettering. ITB NO. 16/17-014 AO Chemical Application Services Bid Opening April 6, 2017 11:00 a.m. Bids delivered in an envelope not properly marked with the ITB number and opening date and time that are inadvertently opened by District personnel will not be considered. 2
3. Bids are due at the above address by 11:00 a.m. on April 6, 2017. Bids received after this time, for any reason, will be rejected. Bids placed in the mail should be mailed in time for delivery the prior day. No common carrier guarantees next-day delivery to District headquarters. 4. Bids must be hard copy. Emails or FAX transmittals will not be accepted. 5. Additional Information: Additional bid packages may be obtained by logging on to www.mysuwanneeriver.com or by contacting Pennie Flickinger at 386.647.3120 or 800.226.1066, Florida only. 6. For additional project information or to obtain gate combination codes to gain access to the project area for pre-bid evaluation purposes, please call the District Project Manager Scott Gregor at 386-362-8130. SECTION 4 KEY POINTS License Requirements: Bidders shall possess a current Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Commercial Applicator License. Licensed applicators must have general standards (Core) certification with further certification in the Forestry Pest Control or Natural Areas Weed Management categories. Chemical Application Requirements: Contract compliance requires Bidders to ensure at least 95% coverage of treatment areas and at least 90% mortality of targeted vegetation within these areas. Bidders should take these requirements into account when providing bids. If coverage and/or mortality rates are not met, Bidders will be required to re-treat areas with no additional cost to the District. Selection of Contractor: In accordance with sub section 287.057(1(a)4, Florida Statutes, the contract shall be awarded to the responsible and responsive vendor who submits the lowest responsive bid. The District will evaluate references that document the Bidders past experience completing forestry related herbicide projects including the use of spot-gun or Gunjet application equipment. Should the successful Bidder be unable at any time to accomplish the work he has been contracted for, the next ranked Bidder for the same task may be contacted to complete the required work. Invoicing and Payment: After the work is completed, the contractor shall furnish the District Project Manager a signed and dated invoice showing the number of acres treated. Contractors are also required to submit a map or shapefile of the area treated, GPS track points if requested, and copies of SRWMD Chemical Control of Vegetation Form (Exhibit A) before payment will be made. Payment will be made after all work has been performed and verified to the specifications listed in SECTION 5 Scope of Work and the satisfaction of the District. Payments will be made at the quoted bid rate. The Contractor will be paid according to the number of acres satisfactorily treated. Challenge of Solicitation Process: If a potential respondent protests any provisions of this ITB, a notice of intent to protest shall be filed with the District in writing within 72 hours after the posting of the invitation to bid on the District s website. Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed in Section 120.57(3), Florida Statutes shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120 of Florida Statutes. 3
Challenge of District s Intent to Award Contract: If a respondent intends to protest District s intent to award Contract, the notice of intent to protest must be filed in writing within 72 hours after posting of a notice of intent to award contract and the respondent shall file a formal written protest within ten (10) days after filing of notice of intent to protest. Any respondent who files a formal written protest pursuant to Chapter 28-110, Florida Administrative Code, and Section 120.57(3), Florida Statutes, shall post with the District at the time of filing the formal written protest, a bond pursuant to Section 287.042(2)(c), Florida Statutes (2014). Failure to file a notice of intent to protest or failure to file a formal written protest within the time prescribed in Chapter 28-110, Florida Administrative Code, and Section 120.57(3), Florida Statutes, or failure to post the bond or other security required by law within the time allowed for filing a bond shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120, Florida Statutes. More specifically, Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed in Section 120.57(3), Florida Statutes shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120 of Florida Statutes. Americans with Disabilities Act: The District does not discriminate upon the basis of any individual s disability status. This nondiscrimination policy involves every aspect of the District s functions including one s access to, participation, employment, or treatment in its programs or activities. Anyone requiring reasonable accommodation as provided for in the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact Gwen Lord, Contracts and Procurement Coordinator, at 386.647.3164 or 800.226.1066 (Florida only). The District s fax number is 386.362.1056. Minority Business Enterprises: The District recognizes fair and open competition as a basic tenet of public procurement. Respondents doing business with the District are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, handicap, age, or sex. The District encourages participation by minority business enterprises. Whenever two or more service providers are ranked equally, a minority business enterprise shall be given preference in the award process. Veteran s Preference: In the absence of minority business enterprise, whenever two or more service providers are ranked equally, a veteran-owned business enterprise shall be given preference in the award process. Public Entity Crime: Section 287.133(2)(a), Florida Statutes, states A person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction for a public entity crime may not submit a bid on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity, may not submit a bid on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit bids on leases of real property to a public entity, may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity, and may not transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided in s.287.017 for CATEGORY TWO for a period of 36 months from the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list. Drug Free Workplace Act: The selected Bidder shall certify that it has established a drug free workplace. Insurance Requirements: If awarded, Bidder shall represent and guarantee that all employees, agents, servants or representatives of the respondent, and all employees, agents, servants, or representatives of subcontractors are covered by workers' compensation insurance. Prior to entering into Contract with the District, respondent agrees to furnish the District certificates of 4
insurance on all insurance, naming District as additional insured for items 2 and 3 below, providing evidence that respondent has in full force and effect the following minimum insurance with insurers authorized to do business in the State of Florida: 1) Workers' compensation insurance as required above; 2) Motor vehicular liability insurance with limits of not less than $1,000,000 combined single limit which insurance shall be applicable to any and all vehicles utilized by respondent to provide the services requested by District; 3) General liability insurance for all services rendered by respondent for the requested services with a minimum of $1,000,000 personal and advertising injury and $1,000,000 general aggregate. The certificate of insurance shall also provide that District shall be notified in writing by the carrier at least 30 days prior to any cancellation of said insurance. Rejection of Responses: The District reserves the right to reject any and all bids or other responses submitted in response to District invitation. District also reserves the right to waive any minor deviations in an otherwise valid proposal. SECTION 5 - SCOPE OF WORK Upon request by the District Project Manager, Contractor will be ready to begin all the work within 10 business days. Contractor will then proceed to complete all the work as quickly and efficiently as possible while maintaining the quality standards listed in the Scope of Work. The District Project Manager may stop work and order the removal and/or replacement of any equipment if the equipment is not working or calibrated properly. Contractor then has 48 hours to replace the equipment with an acceptable substitute. The District Project Manager may prohibit chemical application during adverse weather conditions (heat, cold, dry, wet, etc.). If adverse weather is a problem, Contractor must furnish additional personnel and equipment to make up for lost time and ensure timely completion. Chemical application projects may not stop for a period longer than 48 consecutive hours without advance approval from the District Project Manager. Contractor must guarantee at least 95% coverage of the treatment areas and at least 90% mortality of targeted species within these areas. Acceptable coverage will be determined within five days of application using several random spot inspections. On Project 1 areas, contractors are required to use marking dye to help with this process. On Project 2 areas, contractor shall use GPS, foam line, string or other method to ensure uniform coverage. Signs of mortality will be documented at random spot inspection sites beginning six weeks following application. If coverage and/or mortality rates are not met, the District will require Contractor to retreat the areas at Contractor s expense and at no additional charge to the District. No chemical herbicide applications will exceed the labeled rates on the herbicide containers. All requirements, including state and/or local requirements, listed on the herbicide label are to be followed. Failure to comply with label instructions is a violation of federal and/or state laws. Contractor is liable for any penalty, fines, or damages resulting from misuse of herbicides. All chemical mixtures will be approved by the District Project Manager before application. 5
Chemical delivery methods and rates of application will be mutually agreed upon by District Project Manager and Contractor before work begins. Unless otherwise specified, Contractor will supply and apply all chemical herbicides, adjuvants, and other materials to ensure an effective kill of the target vegetation. Chemical application must occur on at least 95% of the designated treatment areas and no less than 90% of targeted vegetation must be killed for the control method to be considered acceptable by the District. Contractor is expected to prevent any overspray, drift, and/or non-target damage to surrounding vegetation, structures, and/or facilities. The District is implementing a Come Clean, Leave Clean standard. All equipment used on District lands, including tractors, ATVs, discs, and roller-choppers needs to be free of any plant material. Project managers are required to inspect each piece of equipment before it enters District managed lands. If contractors are to perform work within 30 meters of a non-native weed infestation, the project manager is required to inspect the vehicle before it leaves District property. The District Project Manager will delineate a designated cleaning area on each tract for contractors to clean their equipment. A Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Licensed Public Pesticide Applicator with a current license must be present during all chemical applications. Licensed applicators must have general standards (Core) certification with further certification in the Forestry Pest Control or Natural Areas Weed Management categories. The licensed supervisor is responsible to ensure the following: Chemical pesticides must be kept in original containers until mixing. All mixtures should have temporary labels that list the trade name and rates of chemicals and any adjuvants within the spray container. The licensed supervisor must readily have available during application copies of all chemical pesticides labels and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) that are being applied. During mixing and application, all recommended Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be properly worn to minimize applicator exposure to chemicals. All measuring cups should be rinsed and the effluent poured into the tank/bottle mixture. Chemicals and any rinse material from chemical containers will be applied to specific areas; run-off of any chemical substance is not acceptable. Herbicides that are mixed, transferred, or temporarily stored while on District lands will be done so at designated staging areas. Any and all containers that contain pesticide or pesticide residues will be removed from District lands once the chemical application is complete. Herbicides will not be applied during adverse or non-optimal weather conditions for the application method. Any weather condition, including heat, wind, or precipitation, that minimizes the effectiveness of the herbicide or increases the exposure and/or potential for drift to non-target vegetation, personnel, or objects will not be tolerated. Emphasis must be placed on ensuring the application will minimize exposure to people, facilities and the surrounding environment. Avoid any non-target exposure. Non-native, invasive weed material shall not be moved on or off District lands. All equipment and clothing may be inspected before the work crew is allowed to operate on District lands. Any invasive weed material collected while working on District lands must be washed off at a designated cleaning area unless otherwise specified by District Project Manager. 6
A competent Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) licensed supervisor who speaks English fluently and who can converse with all crew members shall be designated by Contractor as the field supervisor and remain on-site during all chemical application projects. The supervisor must be able to correctly identify the targeted species. A representative from the District will meet with the licensed supervisor at the beginning of each project to discuss treatment area and prescriptions and any special restrictions. Contractor is required to provide District with the following upon request by the District Project Manager: List of chemical herbicide trade names and the rates used to produce all chemical mixtures applied. This list should also include any adjuvants or surfactants included in the mixture. Contractor shall permit District personnel to confirm chemical application rates per acre. The Contractor may be asked to show the Project Manager sealed herbicide containers prior to application and the empty containers following completion of the project. A SRWMD Chemical Control of Vegetation Form (Exhibit A) is required after completion of treatment on each individual infestation, local area, or workday depending on time spent at a particular area. A spatially explicit location of the treatment area that delineates the extent of the entire application area. The control area may be represented as points, lines, or polygons, and must be stored and delivered as electronic data. Contractor may not bill for travel time or unused herbicides. Contractor may invoice the District once the project manager is able to confirm that 95% of the target area was covered. Equipment Requirements: Mattair Springs1: Contractors are required to use either a spot-gun or Gun-jet as the chemical delivery device. A straight-stream spray tip is also required. Mattair Springs2: Backpack or ATV mounted sprayers. Swift Creek: Farm tractor with boom mounted sprayer or equivalent. Project Area Information: Mattair Springs 1: Location: See attached map and http://mysuwanneeriver.com/documentcenter/view/10758 Soils: sandy well drained Target: Primary species: laurel oak, live oak. Associated Picture(s): Mattair Springs_1 and Mattair Springs_1a Application Type: Grid Purpose: Help release existing pines from hardwood competition and facilitate the use of prescribed fire. Application Time: May/June 2017 Treatment Acres: 36 acres Application Method: Spot Gun/Gun Jet with backpack Chemicals/ mixing Agents: Velpar-L (add marking dye) Rate: 3 quarts/acre (undiluted); 1 ml/spot 7
Grid Pattern: 3X5 Application Tracking: Contractor must use marking dye Precautions: Do not treat trees along western stand boundary. Application should remain far enough away from the drip line of these trees to ensure they are not affected. Mattair Springs 2: Soils: sandy well drained Target: Primary species: All woody vegetation but mainly laurel oak and live oak Associated Picture(s): Mattair Springs_2 and Mattair Springs_2a Application Type: Foliar Spot Treatment Purpose: Timber Stand Improvement Application Time: July/August 2017 Treatment Acres: 52.2 acres Application Method: Backpack or ATV mounted sprayers. Chemicals/Mixing Agents: Element 3a, Non-Ionic Surfactant, (add marking dye) Rate: 6%; 1% Application Tracking: Contractor must use marking dye Precautions: None. Swift Creek: Location: See attached map and http://mysuwanneeriver.com/documentcenter/view/10756 Soils: sandy, poorly to moderately well drained Target: Primary species: oak, sweetgum, gallberry. Associated Picture(s): Swift Creek_1 and Swift Creek_1a Application Type: Broadcast Purpose: Help control woody/herbaceous competition and prepare site for reforestation. Application Time: July/August 2017 Treatment Acres: 103 acres Application Method: Farm Tractor with boom or equivalent. Chemicals/Rate: Chopper Gen2 @ 40 OZ/acre; Garlon XRT @ 32 OZ/acre; Methylated Seed Oil 3 quarts/acre; minimum of 20 gallons total mix/acre; Application Tracking: Contractor shall track application coverage with GPS, foam line, string or other method to ensure uniform coverage. Other methods must be approved by Project Manager. Precautions: There are many private property boundary edges within this project area. A 20 foot buffer strip should be left along these boundaries to ensure private property is unaffected. Project Area Maps/Access: A map showing the general location of the project area is provided as an attachment. The winning bidder will also receive detailed maps of individual treatment units to help with application planning. Bidders interested in accessing the work areas for pre-bid evaluations can contact the District project manager for gate combinations to gain access to areas behind locked gates. (See SECTION 3 for contact information) 8
Section 6 Bid Response Form ITB NO. 16/17-014 AO Bidders are required to complete and submit this form. One original and one copy shall be delivered in one envelope as discussed in Section 3. Bidders are encouraged to bid on all work areas listed below. ITB 16/17-014 BID TABLE Project Area Application Purpose Acres Application Type Chemical - Adjuvant Rate/Acre Grid ML/Spot $BID/ ACRE Mattair Springs 1 Release 36 Spot-Gun Grid Velpar-L 3 quarts 3X5 1 $ Mattair Springs 2 Maintenance 52.2 Foliar Spot Treatment Element 3a NI-Surfactant 6% 1% $ Swift Creek Site-prep 103 Broadcast Chopper Gen2 Garlon XRT MSO 40 OZ. 32 OZ. 3 quarts $ Company Name Address Company Phone Number Company Fax Number Primary Contact Person Primary Contact Phone Primary Contact Cellular 9
SUB-CONTRACTOR DOCUMENTATION Please list the name, address (base of operation), and telephone number of sub-contractors you plan to use to accomplish services/tasks. Also, list the type of task they will be conducting. The use of sub-contractors must be approved by District Staff. Sub-contractors will be required to meet all the requirements of this Invitation to Bid before approval is granted. 10
Spot Gun Application References (Bidders must include at least two references for Spot gun/gun-jet projects completed in the last three years) Sites of most recent spot gun application projects Project/Site Manager Contact Information 1 2 3 List all potential field supervisors with FDACS License number Name FDACS License 11
Equipment List Please provide a list of equipment that will be used to complete this project. Include the number of personnel (and years experience with your company in parenthesis) that will be available on a daily basis to complete this work. 12
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Mattair Springs_1 Mattair Springs_1a 16
Mattair Springs_2 Mattair Springs_2a 17
Swift Creek_1 Swift Creek_1a 18