Request for Proposal # Lawn Mowing, Landscaping and Trash/Sweeping Services at CCSU Addendum 4 dated June 29, 2018

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1 Request for Proposal # Lawn Mowing, Landscaping and Trash/Sweeping Services at CCSU Addendum 4 dated June 29, 2018 Addendum 4 has been issued to answer final questions submitted. The addendum 2 - question / Answer 5 States that this contract requires treatment and manual weeding to be performed weekly. The specifications do not discuss or include weekly weeding and treatment services. Can you provide a scope of work description for this service, and also a pricing schedule to submit pricing on. Answer: The previous contract did not require weekly maintenance and weeding. This contract requires treatment and manual weeding to be performed weekly to ensure that beds are clear of vegetation and weeds. Are the crew sizes (6 for mowing, 5 for trash services) mandatory that must be adhered to or are they suggestions based on prior contracts? Answer: The University wants a minimum of 6 crew members for mowing. That must be adhered to at all times. The University wants a minimum of 5 for trash services or with an automated truck a crew of 4 can be requested. Can the contractor work out of a semi permanent container left on site? Answer: The University will do its best to accommodate a location on campus for the contractor to deploy a semi-permanent container. Are the weekly weeding hours to be included in the landscape maintenance cost or within the weekly mowing cost? Answer: Weekly weeding shall reside in the landscape costs. If mulching is determined by the university, the contractor cannot quantify an amount of mulch that will be used. Can mulch be priced on a 'per yard installed' basis? Answer: All mulching requires a minimum 2 inch new base. We anticipate mulching the entire campus as part of the Spring and Summer landscaping services. There would be no harm in the additional cost by yard as a separate line item. Use revised Landscaping Services Price Schedule sheet to submit mulching prices. Is spraying of hard surfaces (walkways, cracks/crevices, curb lines) to be included in weekly landscape maintenance? Answer: Utilizing a spray application is not anticipated as a weekly requirement. This application is necessary intermittently during all growing season. Following up with hand weeding is anticipated as a weekly requirement. Is trash (daily garbage cans, etc) disposed of on site or is it the contractors responsible to find a facility outside the university? Answer: The University has a disposal site on campus.

2 Is cleaning of grounds after sporting events (bleachers, etc) of trash included or just the removal of liners from receptacles? Answer: The cleaning of the grounds and the removal of liners should happen after each scheduled outside sporting event. Is there currently an electronic thumb print time clock being used in the current contracts? If so, it is up to the awarded contractor to provide? Answer: There is currently not an electronic thumb print time clock. The University has the right to request electronic attendance devices at any time during this contract. The device will be used to ensure accurate counts to staffing. It was stated in the answer to a question regarding Mowing and at the pre-bid meeting that you are looking for mowing to occur two times per week during the growing season and stated also in the specifications at a height of 2". How many times in the past 5 years of the current contract has the lawn been mowed completely two times a week? That information would give us as contractors a baseline and sense of what to allocate for as far as resources in creating a bid and what is expected based on past history. Also, 2" seems very low is that the correct intended information to mow at that height up until September? Answer: Data on number of complete cuts twice a week over the past 5 years is not readily available. The University maintains the expectation of a 2 height. Related to question 1 - If all the lawn does not need mowing, due to drought and/or hot weather, that is, it is simply not growing enough due to the normal summer weather conditions, does the contractor still get paid the full amount for showing up, even though the entire campus has not been mowed? How many times under the current contract in the past 5 years did it not need mowing or very little during a given week, or only partial mowing? Answer: If the university needs/requested limited mowing the contractor will bill per the hourly rate. Data on number of partial cuts over the past 5 years is not readily available. The contract states that 6 daily personnel are required for mowing, this is very confusing to us. If the service is provided as a specific task with lump sum price why are 6 daily personnel required? Certainly there are times when there is no rainfall and very hot weather for instance, with little or no mowing is needed, why the requirement for 6 personnel to be there every day? Under the current contract does the contractor have 6 personnel daily onsite for the duration? Is that how the current Mowing contract has functioned, with 6 personnel daily? So we can correctly bid and plan our workforce, how many times per season in the past 5 years was the entire campus mowed twice per week and how many billings can we expect to render for the services, can you give us some idea? Whatever that number is, would that be an acceptable average for us to use as an annual average benchmark? Answer: Data on number of cuts and number of billings over the past 5 years is not readily available. The University is requiring a minimum of 6 personnel to complete mowing either once a week or when needed twice a week. This will ensure that we have sufficient staff to complete this task regardless of 1 or 2 cuts per week. The time required is independent to each contractor. When the task is completed the contractor has the ability to utilize his staff in any capacity that is not associated with the University. Landscape Maintenance - At the bid meeting walk through several people noted that much of the campus, perhaps most of it, does not look well maintained at all. Much of the mulch beds do not look as though they have been mulched in years, a lot of the trees have only soil around them that previously was mulched and now no mulch, not many areas are edged, there are weed filled beds, debris here and there, etc. Is the current state of the grounds as it was at the walk-through in acceptable and satisfactory condition to management? Was there a lapse in service? Is the contractor responsible still under contract on the campus? As bidders trying to bid accurately, what level of landscape and grounds maintenance service meets your expectations? Is the current state of the campus grounds as far as landscaping and grounds maintenance as you would like and acceptable as it pertains to the specifications set forth in the bid we are now bidding on? Would we be expected to mulch all the beds on campus per the written specifications or just the ones that currently appear to be mulched and not the ones that have not been mulched as it would appear in a very long time or at all?

3 Answer: The summer mulch has not yet occurred and will occur in July in accordance with the contract. The expectations of the University are that this new contract will provide a high level of service and quality maintenance of all beds, and areas requiring landscaping. The University is requiring ALL BEDS to be maintained and mulched in this contract. All contractors should price accordingly. For each contract is there on campus space for the contractor's trucks and equipment? Answer: The University will do its best to allocate space on campus for contractor trucks/equipment. There was mention of special events, football games, and others at the meeting and the contractors responsibilities on covering those events. We are not clear as to what those are specifically in numbers per year of the contract, could you please list those in detail and what is the contractor allowed to charge for those special events, additional to the contract monthly rate, and how many are there per year and how many people have you needed for these events from the contractor or contractors? How many people and how many hours can we expect to need for a full year of events if we add them up in terms of man hours? What are the contractor's responsibilities specifically in covering all the events and is the contractor paid any additional for covering them? ANSWER: Details on special events over the past few years is not readily available. For special events the contractor would bill CCSU at the established hourly rate. Number of personnel and hours vary per event. Where is the time clock used by the contractors kept on campus? Answer: Please see response above. If a timeclock is deemed necessary, the University will provide an accessible location to the contractor. Are there any facilities for composting leaves and vegetation on the campus? Answer: No there is not. Are we allowed to work on weekends and holidays if necessary? Answer: Yes How many days a week are Trash personnel currently present on campus? Answer: Six days a week. The Contractor must be prepared to work 7 days a week when requested by the University. All other terms, conditions and specifications in the RFP remain the same. END OF ADDENDUM 4

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5 CCSU RFP LANDSCAPING SERVICES REVISED PRICE SCHEDULE Landscaping for CCSU campus $ per Spring Cleanup $ per Summer Maintenance $ per Fall Cleanup Limited location mulch as needed $ per square yard Perimeter sidewalk curb bed service (remove soil, install weed fabric and crushed red stone) $ per square yard Hourly rate for services required above and beyond the scope of this RFP $ per manhour Company Name Authorized Signature