WEED ABATEMENT SERVICES -TRACTORS and TRUCKS

185 Pages·2016·3.77 MB·English

by  Priscilla Harvey

Los Angeles County Department of
A C W M
gricultural ommissioner/ eightsand easures
WEED HAZARD ABATEMENT PROGRAM
A Public Safety Program

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONER/
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

INVITATION FOR BIDS FOR

WEED ABATEMENT SERVICES
-TRACTORS and TRUCKS-

January 2016

Prepared By
County of Los Angeles
INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB)
WEED ABATEMENT SERVICES
- TRACTORS and TRUCKS -

TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION PAGE

1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION ............................................................................... 1
1.1 Purpose and IFB Quick Facts! ............................................................... 1
1.2 Overview of Solicitation Document .......................................................... 4
1.3 Terms and Definitions .............................................................................. 5
1.4 Bidder’s Minimum Requirements ............................................................. 5
1.5 County’s Rights and Responsibilities ....................................................... 7
1.6 Contract Term.......................................................................................... 7
1.7 Contract Rates......................................................................................... 8
1.8 Contact with County Personnel ............................................................... 8
1.9 Final Contract Award by the Board of Supervisors .................................. 8
1.10 Mandatory Requirement to Register on County’s WebVen ..................... 9
1.11 County Option to Reject Bids .................................................................. 9
1.12 Protest Process ...................................................................................... 9
1.13 Notice to Bidders Regarding Public Records Act................................... 10
1.14 Indemnification and Insurance ............................................................... 11
1.15 SPARTA ................................................................................................ 11
1.16 Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) ......................................... 12
1.17 Independent Contractor Status .............................................................. 12
1.18 Conflict of Interest .................................................................................. 12
1.19 Determination of Bidder Responsibility .................................................. 12
1.20 Bidder Debarment ................................................................................. 14
1.21 Bidder’s Adherence to County Child Support Compliance Program. ..... 16
1.22 Gratuities ............................................................................................... 17
1.23 Notice to Bidders Regarding the County Lobbyist Ordinance ................ 18
1.24 Federal Earned Income Credit............................................................... 18
1.25 Consideration of GAIN/GROW Participants For Employment ............... 19
1.26 County’s Quality Assurance Plan .......................................................... 19
1.27 Recycled Bond Paper ............................................................................ 20

IFB For Weed Abatement Services-Tractors and Trucks Page i
January 2016
INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB)
WEED ABATEMENT SERVICES
- TRACTORS and TRUCKS -

TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION PAGE

1.28 Safely Surrendered Baby Law ............................................................... 20
1.29 County Policy On Doing Business With Small Business ....................... 20
1.30 Jury Service Program ............................................................................ 21
1.31 Local Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Preference Program ............... 23
1.32 Local Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Prompt Payment Program……24
1.33 Notification to County of Pending Acquisitions/Mergers by Proposing
Company .............................................................................................. 24
1.34 Transitional Job Opportunities Preference Program .............................. 24
1.35 Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Preference Program ................. 25
1.36 Defaulted Property Tax Reduction Program .......................................... 26
1.37 Time off for Voting ................................................................................. 27
2.0 INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS ....................................................................... 27
2.1 County Responsibility ............................................................................ 27
2.2 Truth and Accuracy of Representations ................................................ 28
2.3 IFB Timetable ........................................................................................ 28
2.4 Solicitation Requirements Review ......................................................... 28
2.5 Bidders’ Questions ................................................................................ 29
2.6 Bidders’ Conference .............................................................................. 30
2.7 Bid Format ............................................................................................. 30
2.8 Bid Submission ...................................................................................... 30
3.0 BID REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS ................................................... 32
3.1 Review Process ..................................................................................... 32
3.2 Adherence to Minimum Requirements .................................................. 33
3.3 Disqualification Review .......................................................................... 33
3.4 Bid Review ............................................................................................ 34
3.5 Department’s Proposed Contractor Selection Review ........................... 35

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January 2016
INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB)
WEED ABATEMENT SERVICES
- TRACTORS and TRUCKS -

TABLE OF CONTENTS

APPENDICES:

APPENDIX A: Sample Contract
APPENDIX B: Statement of Work
APPENDIX C: Technical Exhibits
APPENDIX D: Required Forms
APPENDIX E: Transmittal Form to Request a Solicitation Requirements Review
APPENDIX F: County of Los Angeles Policy on Doing Business with Small
Business
APPENDIX G: Jury Service Ordinance
APPENDIX H: Listing of Contractors Debarred in Los Angeles County
APPENDIX I: IRS Notice 1015
APPENDIX J: Safely Surrendered Baby Law
APPENDIX K: Defaulted Property Tax Reduction Program

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January 2016
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures
GENERAL INFORMATION

1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION
1.1 Purpose
The County of Los Angeles, Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights
and Measures is issuing this Invitation for Bids (IFB) to solicit bids for contracts
with organizations which can provide reliable and cost effective weed, brush, or
rubbish removal services using mechanized equipment (tractors with
specialized equipment such as discs or mowers). This IFB is for 3 separate
contracts based on the type of work or area. Interested contractors can submit
a bid on one or more of the contracts.

The work being solicited may be highly seasonal with peak demand occurring
from approximately late spring through summer. The areas where work is to be
performed vary by contract and can range from countywide to specific
geographic areas. More detailed information is provided in the IFB packet
particularly in APPENDIX A - SAMPLE CONTRACT, APPENDIX B -
STATEMENT OF WORK and APPENDIX C - TECHNICAL EXHIBITS.

IFB QUICK FACTS!

WHO ARE WE AND WHAT IS THIS INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB)?
We are the Los Angeles County, Department of Agricultural Commissioner/ Weights
and Measures (ACWM). One of our key missions is to provide safety from fires through
a Weed and Brush Abatement Program, which focuses primarily on vacant properties
throughout much of the County. We also provide rubbish abatement in certain areas of
the County. While most of the 29,000 property owners involved in the program maintain
their own properties free from hazardous weeds or brush, ACWM does the work on a
significant number of them. This IFB is how ACWM solicits the vendors to do this
important work.

IFB For Weed Abatement Services-Tractors and Trucks Page 1
January 2016
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures
GENERAL INFORMATION

We understand that the IFB and related documents can be difficult to read and can
even be a little intimidating, especially if you are new to the system. For these reasons,
we are providing you with this quick guide in plain language to help you decide if this is
the kind of service you and your company are capable of providing and whether or not
you should continue reading the entire IFB. This Quick Facts guide is for general
information and does not supersede any requirements of the solicitation document or
resulting contract.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
Basically, we are looking for reliable contractors who can provide weed or brush
clearing using two main methods, which are: hand removal (Handwork) and tractor
clearing (Tractor work). This IFB is for tractor work contracts. Contractors interested in
performing handwork work should check our website or contact our office (See Page 8)
to see if an IFB for handwork is available.

Tractor Work
General
Tractor work contracts involve weed and brush clearing using tractors with attachments
like discs and mowers. Most of the tractor mowing contracts require fairly standard,
medium duty tractors with rubber tires. However, the tractor discing contracts may
require a very specialized type of track layer (crawler) tractor, which may be difficult to
obtain. In addition, in some areas of the county, tractor discing requires a highly skilled
operator. Read the STATEMENT OF WORK and information in the sections called
Tractor Contracts Available for 2016-2017.

Hourly Tractor Work
Hourly tractor work is bid and worked by the hour. In other words, the contractor
submits a bid on the cost per hour to provide the equipment and trained personnel to
transport and operate the equipment. Work is performed under direct worksite
guidance from ACWM personnel.

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January 2016
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures
GENERAL INFORMATION

Area Tractor Work
Area tractor contracts are proposed and worked by an area of a specified size. The
area can be by the acre or parts of an acre. For most of the area tractor contracts, work
is assigned to a Contractor in a “packet” containing maps and other information for up to
dozens of vacant parcels of land, which are to be cleared according to the STATEMENT
OF WORK or special instructions. The contractor must complete the packet of work
within a specified timeframe, usually 14 days. Except for tumbleweed mowing, all of the
work is expected to be performed independently by the contractor and his/her staff
without direct worksite guidance from ACWM personnel. After the work is done,
someone from ACWM inspects the work and authorizes payment to the contractor.
Some of the area discing contracts may also require hand trimming of weeds along
sidewalks or other perimeters.

OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER
Seasonal Workload
Since the main mission of ACWM’s weed and brush abatement program is to provide
timely fire protection, there is tremendous pressure to get most of the clearance work
done before the fire season. This means most of the requests for work will be during
the late spring and early summer. If you are already in the business of weed and brush
removal, this could also be when most of your other clients are demanding work. One
of the things you will need to consider is whether or not you are capable of handling this
workload peak.

Submitting a Bid On More Than One Contract
You may submit a bid on more than one of the available contracts. However, the
minimum requirements listed are for one contract. Therefore, to qualify for more than
one contract, you may be required to clearly demonstrate your ability to handle the
additional work

Weather

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January 2016
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures
GENERAL INFORMATION

All of our contracts are based on our best estimate of the upcoming season’s rainfall, as
well as, other factors like how many property owners are likely to do their own weed and
brush abatement. Low rainfall can result in significant reductions in the amount of work
we will need from a contractor.

Travel Time
Some of the contracts are for work in specific regions of the County and some are for
work countywide. Make sure you take into consideration the distance from your office
or equipment yard to the work locations.
1.2 Overview of Solicitation Document
This Invitation for Bids (IFB) is composed of the following parts:
 GENERAL INFORMATION: Specifies the Bidder’s minimum requirements,
provides information regarding some of the requirements of the Contract
and explains the solicitation process.
 INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS: Contains instructions to Bidders in how to
prepare and submit their Bid.
 BID REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS: Explains how the Bids will be
reviewed and selected.
 APPENDICES:
 A - SAMPLE CONTRACT: Lists the terms and conditions in the
Contract.
 B - STATEMENT OF WORK: Explains in detail the statement of
work to be performed in the Contract.
 C - TECHNICAL EXHIBITS: Exhibits that accompany the Statement
of Work.
 D - REQUIRED FORMS: Forms contained in this section must be
completed and included in the Bid.
 E - TRANSMITTAL FORM TO REQUEST A SOLICITATION
REQUIREMENTS REVIEW: Transmittal sent to department
requesting a Solicitation Requirements Review.

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January 2016
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures
GENERAL INFORMATION

 F - COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES POLICY ON DOING BUSINESS
WITH SMALL BUSINESS: County policy.
 G - JURY SERVICE ORDINANCE: County Program.
 H - LISTING OF CONTRACTORS DEBARRED IN LOS ANGELES
COUNTY: Contractors who are not allowed to contract with the
County for a specific length of time.
 I - IRS NOTICE 1015: Provides information on Federal Earned
Income credit.
 J - SAFELY SURRENDERED BABY LAW: County program.
 K - DEFAULTED PROPERTY TAX PROGRAM: County program
1.3 Terms and Definitions
Throughout this IFB, references are made to certain persons, groups, or
departments/agencies. For convenience, a description of specific definitions
can be found in APPENDIX A - SAMPLE CONTRACT, Paragraph 2 -
Definitions.
1.4 Bidder’s Minimum Requirements
Interested and qualified Bidders that can demonstrate their ability to
successfully provide the required services outlined in APPENDIX B -
STATEMENT OF WORK, of this IFB are invited to submit bids, provided they
meet the following requirements.
1.4.1 Bidder must have three (3) years experience, within the last 10 years,
providing tractor work of the type and scope being solicited, or services
equivalent or similar to the services identified in APPENDIX B -
STATEMENT OF WORK. A minimum of four (4) contracts, for this
listed experience, from at least two (2) different companies or agencies
must be included in the bid using the forms provided in APPENDIX D -
REQUIRED FORMS.

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January 2016
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures
GENERAL INFORMATION

1.4.2 Bidder must meet any additional minimum requirements for individual
contracts listed in APPENDIX B - STATEMENT OF WORK.

1.4.3 Bidder’s equipment shall meet all of the requirements as specified in
the IFB, APPENDIX A - SAMPLE CONTRACT or APPENDIX B -
STATEMENT OF WORK.

1.4.4 Bidder’s equipment operators shall meet the experience
requirement(s) as specified in APPENDIX B -STATEMENT OF WORK.

1.4.5 Bidders must meet any additional minimum requirements for
designated Concurrent Contracts pursuant to the following:

Concurrent Contracts
The minimum requirements in this IFB apply when submitting a bid on
only one of the available contracts. A contract in the IFB that is likely
to require a significant amount of the same type of work to be
performed at the same time as another contract in the IFB may be
designated a “Concurrent Contract”. A Bidder may submit a bid on
more than one of the designated Concurrent Contracts, but the
minimum requirements in terms of equipment and personnel must be
cumulative for each additional contract. Failure to meet the cumulative
minimum requirements when bidding on more than one of the
contracts may render a bid nonresponsive for some or all of the
additional contracts. Designation of Concurrent Contracts shall be at
the sole discretion of the County. When determining contract
concurrency, the County may also consider any existing contracts the
contractor may have with the County.

1.4.6 All of the minimum requirements as set forth in the preceding sub-
paragraph 1.4, BIDDER’S MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, must be met

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January 2016