7/17/12

  1. Do you require references?

Response: Please send a minimum of five references with your bid package. Your references will be called and their responses will be factored into your overall score.

  1. Please supply specifics for employee bonding –What are you referring to and is there a specific amount of bond required? (page 29)

Response:It depends on your customary business practice.

3,There’s a reference to donations, in-kind or other, on page 30. Does this have an effect on considering our bid? Can you give specifics as to what is meant (expected)?

Response: Donations are not a requirement and have no effect on consideration. Please read Page 30 section J for details.

  1. Please confirm that you’re asking us to send a list of the hourly rates we pay our employees, number of employees we will have cleaning, number of supervisors, and prices. Would it be possible to post how the price sheet should be structured or formatted? Please, if you can give us an example, it would be very helpful so that we’re sure we’re on track and sending what you’d like.

Response: Any format will work as long as you can provide sufficient information for us to determine how you arrived at your price. Please read page 30 section J for details.

  1. Are we to create a pricing sheet monthly or annually?

Response: Both. Per Section J, we need TOTAL not to exceed pricing. Please read page 30 section J for details

  1. Can you tell us how many employees the current vendor uses, and the cost of product for the last 3 years?

Response: We do not have this data to provide.

  1. Can you supply us with type and amount of each supply that you have used during the last year so that we can identify supplies needed and estimate consumption in doing our estimate of cost of supplies? What is the price of the products?

Response:Costsvary due to theoil and paper market, weather and environmental conditions etc. Suppliers have to determine the cost themselves with an economic forecast to fit their business target. In addition, current supplier does not release his source and cost of supplies to us, therefore, we do not haveaccess to that data .

  1. Are rest room pumps and sprays included in bid?

Response: No, we will provide our own deodorizing sprays, hand soap,and toilet seat paper covers.

  1. Does it matter if paper towels are brown or white?

Response: No, although we prefer white.

  1. Do you require green products? It makes a difference in our purchase cost.

Response: It would be nice but not required. Proposal sets forth cleaning agents that are required for rest rooms, which are not green.

  1. Do you require certain brands of cleaning agents?

Response: No, we do not specify which brands to use. We do mention type. An example is that the Information Technology Department flooring requires static-free agents for cleaning.

  1. The MSDS contract sheets you request on all chemicals, page 27 – When should they be provided?

Response: At start of contract.

  1. What is the term of the contract?

Response: To provide for a requirement contract commencing on the date of award and continuing for one(1) year with two one(1) year option periods which may extend the period of performance for a possible total of three (3) years.

  1. Please explain what happens at extension time.

Response: After one contract year of satisfactory of Janitorial services, supplier will have 30 day notice to renew one extra year contract. After the second year of satisfactory Janitorial service, supplier will also give another 30 day notice of extension of the contract.After the maximum of 3 years contract, Head Start will go to the public to re-bid again.

  1. What is the name of the current vendor and how long has he been with you? When does his contract end?

Response: Commercial Building Maintenance. The current contract is in its third year and will expire in November 2012.

  1. Can the same vendor qualify again?

Response: Yes.

  1. What are you paying now?

Response: It is posted online - $21,864.00annually.

  1. You said something was added to this contract that was not on the current contract. What was added?

Response: We are currently recycling paper, cans, and plastic. Weask that they be brought to the recycle bin outside nightly. The current vendor is doing this withoutincreasingthe price, and thus, it does not affect the cost of the contract.

  1. Is this for only the central location of 31,000 square feet?

Response: Yes.

  1. How many restrooms are in this building?

Response: Six – 2 men’s and 2 women’s on 1st floor, 1 each on 2nd floor.

  1. May we bid on the other locations you have?

Response: Yes, when there is a bid opening.

  1. What are cleaning hours?

Response: The cleaning schedules are from Monday to Friday after office hours(5 p.m.). However, you have an option to choose Monday to Thursday after 5 p.m. and one weekend Saturday or Sunday. In addition, if there is any unfinished job or unsatisfactory or emergency services, you need to be prepared to come to the central office and perform the service at anytime upon request free of charge.

  1. Which chairs are to be cleaned twice a year? How many are there?

Response: The chairs in the training rooms. There are about 180 chairs.

  1. How long are you closed for winter break?

Response: Two weeks. We recommend you take advantage of this time to do the semi-annual cleaning.

  1. Do we clean the inside of the refrigerators?

Response: That would be a special request which isnot included in the bid.

  1. Do we wipe the break room counters and wash out the coffee pots?

Response: Our staff is good about picking/cleaning up; however, if counter is dirty or coffee pots left, yes, please wipe and clean pots.

  1. Why is this a RFP for procurement since it’s under $25,000?

Response: That is our policy.

  1. Do you want our proposal via E-mail or hard copy?

Response: Hard copy.

  1. May we e-mail you questions after this meeting? And have the questions added to the web posting so that everyone can see the answers?

Response: No… In order to be fair to everybody, all questions must be presented now. In addition, the purpose of the pre-proposal conference is to answer any questions you may have after reading the request for proposal. We have to have time to prepare and post to the web.

  1. Can you post the attendance sheets on the website so that we can be sure the winner attended this meeting?

Response: Attendance sheetsare for our internal use only, we do not distribute to outsiders. Our check and balance system is very tight, plus our review committee is an honest team.

  1. When will the winner of the bid be announced?

Response: The bid must be in by 11:00 a.m. on Aug 16, 2012 and the winner will be announced three to four weeks after that day.

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