AMENDED FEBRUARY 25TH: Correction - years to be quoted are 2009; 2010; and 2011 - not 2008; 2009; and 2010.

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Stockton Missouri Lake Project, intends to issue a contract for mowing and trimming services at the administration area near the dam. Any contract resulting will be firm-fixed price, performance based, and 100% set aside for small business. Specifications follow below or may also be obtained from cynthia.a.clark@usace.army.mil.

TO QUOTE: At a minimum, responsible sources must provide the following to be considered:

* Name, Address, Phone #;
* Proposed Price Per Mowing (entire area) for 2009; price per mowing for 2010; and price per mowing for 2011
* Proposed Price Per Bagging (front lawn) for 2009; price per bagging for 2010; and price per bagging for 2011
* Statement of Experience (see below); &
* Past Performance info (see below):

Statement of Experience and Past Performance forms may be obtained from cynthia.a.clark@usace.army.mil. The Statement of Experience is a one-page form on which youll list your mowing work experience. The Past Performance forms include a cover letter and a questionnaire which you must submit to THREE REFERENCES who then in turn shall complete the questionnaires and return them to the Stockton office. It is important you send these past performance forms to 3 references to complete and return on your behalf. Experience and Past Performance will be considered in addition to price.

Prior to award the Contractor must be registered in CCR at www.ccr.gov and in ORCA at www.bpn.gov. For assistance contact the Procurement Technical Assistance Center at 417-625-3001 or 417-625-3029.

Responses to this solicitation are due by 3:00 pm CST March 13, 2009 at Stockton Lake Project, 16435 East Stockton Lake Dr, Stockton MO 65785. Only signed, original quotes received in the Stockton Project office by the bids due date and time will be considered (no faxes or emails, no late bids). For a site visit come to the Stockton Project during office hours (7:30 4:00) and an aerial photo of the area will be provided. The Stockton Project main phone # is 417-276-3113. For questions, contact Cindy at 816-389-3009 or cynthia.a.clark@usace.army.mil.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Any resulting contract shall become effective on date of award and shall remain in effect through 30 September 2009 (this period constitutes base year of contract). Effective dates of renewal options, IF EXERCISED, shall be from 01 October 2009 through 30 September of 2010; and 01 October 2010 through 30 September 2011 (up to 2 renewal options). Exercise of options is at the discretion of the Government, not of the Contractor.

MOWING AREAS: Mowing areas shall be as designated by the Contracting Officer or his Representative, hence the importance of a site-visit prior to bidding. An aerial photo of area to be mowed will be provided by Stockton Lake Project Office. The definition below serves to indicate general mowing areas and boundaries. Ultimately and above all else, mowing and trimming areas shall be as determined by the CO or his designated representative. Such determinations shall prevail over definitions, descriptions, photos, drawings, or maps.

Areas to be mowed include:

- Senator Kit Bond Information Center and Administration Building (office) lawn;
- Maintenance Compound area;
- Cedar Gap Picnic Shelter area;
- a 30 foot strip from the shelter parking lot westward to entrance of Cedar Gap nature trail;
- areas sloping from Administration Building to the South & to the West;
- area sloping from Administration Building to the North to Service Road A;
- a 50 foot strip along the South side of Service Road A between the Administration Building & Overlook area;
- West Overlook & Restroom Building areas;
- Switchyard area (North of the switchyard & Eastward to chain link fence)

All sidewalks in administration area, maintenance compound, overlook area, and picnic shelter areas shall be edged. The lawn areas around the administration building shall be bagged if bagging is ordered, but bagging will not be required for every mowing. Contractor shall mow the two administration building lawn areas on a diagonal bias, and shall alternate directions with each mowing. The entire area to be mowed consists of an estimated 11 acres which will be mowed an estimated 26 32 times per year, with a guaranteed minimum of 12 times and a maximum not to exceed 40 times. Acreage and number of mowings are estimated. The Contractor shall be responsible for determining all acreage and conditions affecting the performance of the work.

SCOPE OF WORK: The Contractor shall provide all manpower, labor, equipment, materials/supplies, transportation, fuel, tools, supervision and other items and services necessary to provide mowing and trimming of designated areas at the Stockton Lake Project, near Stockton. The Contractor shall perform to the standards in the contract. Services also consist of attending annual pre-work conferences and meetings as necessary at Stockton Project office, and preparing quality control worksheets, invoices, and inputting contractor man hours online at https://cmra.army.mil/default.aspx. A map of Stockton Lake can be found on the Internet at: http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/st/. All acreages are ESTIMATED. The Contractor shall be responsible for determining exact acreage and conditions affecting performance of work. Rocky terrain and heavily wooded areas may require an extensive amount of trimming and hand mowing where larger mowers cannot maneuver satisfactorily. Trimming shall include the removal of sprouts and heavily weeded growth. Prospective bidders are encouraged to visit and fully inspect all areas, accesses, locations, terrain, etc. prior to bidding. The Government shall not be held accountable for conditions at the site which were not taken into account by prospective bidders. Mowing shall be accomplished to within, but not closer than, 24 inches (+/- 6 inches) of the trunk of any tree, bush, or shrub; and to within, but not closer than, 12 inches (+/- 6 inches) of any inanimate objects, such as walls, posts, signs, park equipment, or other such objects. Height of cut and exact limits of mowing and trimming areas shall be as directed by the Contracting Officer or his Representative. Mowing and trimming operations around buildings and roadsides shall be performed so grass clippings are thrown away from buildings and away from the road whenever possible. Mowing operations shall not be performed when the ground is so wet that mowing would cause rutting or would otherwise disturb existing turf; or when grass is so wet it will not cut. Tractors shall be operated in such a manner as to protect against the sod being torn by the tractor wheels on turns. All mowers (large and small) shall be compatible with each other in mowing height and appearance of cut grass. After mowing, areas serviced under this contract shall present a neat, well-cared-for, and evenly mowed appearance, free from ruts or any unmowed strips or streaks. Trimming is required in all areas. Grass and weeds shall be trimmed around trees, shrubs, buildings, fences, poles, posts, fire hydrants, parking lots, curbs, parking lot bumper blocks (both sides), sidewalks, boulders, and other fixed obstacles. Trimming height shall match surrounding area grass heights. All areas shall be trimmed simultaneously, or immediately following mowing. Immediately following trimming, the Contractor shall remove grass clippings or debris deposited as a result of mowing and trimming operations from all sidewalks, entrances into buildings, building interiors, and Cedar Gap Shelter (pavilion). Extreme care shall be exercised when mowing and trimming around trees, bushes, shrubs, buildings, and other objects to insure that equipment does not come in contact with the object. Trees or other objects shall NOT be bumped or scraped by equipment. Trimming will not be required closer than two (2) inches around trunks of trees, bushes, or shrubs. However, trimming around buildings and inanimate objects shall be accomplished to the last blade of grass. Moveable objects shall be moved and the area around and under such objects shall be mowed and/or trimmed. Immediately following mowing/trimming, such objects shall be returned to their original position. All costs of repair or replacement in size, kind and type resulting from damage by the Contractor's equipment shall be borne by the Contractor. Repair or replacement shall occur within 30 calendar days of noticed damage. The Contractor and employees/staff shall personally perform, or provide personal superintendence of the performance of, duties under this contract (no subcontracting). The Contractor shall maintain a sufficient number of staff/employees to perform the required services. In the event the Contractor is unable to perform contract duties as required, the Government reserves the right to terminate the contract. Contractor personnel shall present a neat appearance and be fully clothed (meaning that a sleeved shirt or T-shirt, trousers, and shoes are worn) at all times while performing services ordered under the contract; except that this requirement shall not be construed to replace or eliminate the necessity for the wearing of appropriate protective clothing or devices as may be required for the safe performance of services or for the application of various approved chemicals (if any). The Contractor shall provide own attire. Contractor personnel shall utilize tact, diplomacy, and courtesy at all times during contact with the public and with Government personnel. The Contracting Officer and his Representative reserve the right to disapprove any individual whom he/she considers to be incompetent to perform the work required. Such disapproval will be given to the Contractor by written notice. Any such decision is final. Any illegal or criminal activity on the part of the Contractor or staff, employees, or other personnel may result in termination of the contract. In order to assure that the required services be performed at an acceptable level, the Contractor shall designate in writing a responsible on-site work crew representative, who shall serve as a contact for matters involving quality, performance, or nonperformance of required services assigned to that crew. In the absence of a designated on-site representative, or if the designated on-site representative is not present, the Contractor warrants that any and all members of each work crew are qualified and fully competent with full authority to act for, and on behalf of, the Contractor, to insure the required work is performed in strict accordance with the contract specifications. The Government reserves the right to discuss mowing and trimming matters with any Contractor employee on-site and currently employed by the Contractor. Equipment breakdown shall NOT relieve the Contractor of the responsibility of performing the work as specified. It shall be the Contractors responsibility to assure that he or she has, or can obtain on short notice, sufficient backup equipment to continue the services as specified without interruption in the event of mechanical failure of primary equipment. Information on quality control and assurance can be obtained by contacting cynthia.a.clark@usace.army.mil. If any of the Contractors services do not conform to contract requirements, the Government may request the Contractor to perform the services again, where appropriate, in conformity with contract requirements, at no increase in contract amount. When the defects in services cannot be corrected by re-performance, the Government may (1) require the contractor to take necessary action to ensure that future performance conforms to contract requirements, and (2) reduce the contract price to reflect the reduced value of the services performed. NOTE: If the contractor fails to promptly re-perform the services or to take the necessary action to ensure future performance in conformity with contract requirements, the Government may by contract, or otherwise: (1) perform the services and charge to the Contractor any cost incurred by the government that is directly related to the performance of such service, or (2) terminate the contract in whole or in part. The Government reserves the right to cause the specified work to be performed by a third party or Government personnel and the cost incurred thereby will be levied against the Contractor. Any time Government personnel are used because of Contractor's nonperformance, the cost levied against the Contractor will include all direct costs associated with the performance of the specified work. The direct cost to the Government for substitution of the Government personnel removed from their normal duties is computed on an hourly basis at the applicable wage rate. Government personnel will be used only when time is of the essence and the interests of the Government would not be served by securing a third party to perform the specified work. In accordance with the FAR Clause 52.228-5 the Contractor shall obtain and maintain during the period of performance under this contract insurance as required. For insurance requirements, contact cynthia.a.clark@usace.army.mil. The Government will furnish necessary keys and Contractor Quality Control worksheets for the Contractors use. The Contractor shall furnish all equipment, supplies, items, labor, materials, insurance, services, etc. to accomplish the services specified. All equipment must be approved by the Contracting Officer or the Contracting Officer's Representative prior to initial use. Mowers shall be tractor mounted rotary type, multiple spindle (lawn type), or flail: equipped with adjustable side-mounted skids, capable of producing a smooth even cut, with a cutting height adjustable from 3 to 6 inches. Mowing around the Administration Building includes the following special requirements: The two lawn areas in front of the administration building, which contain a sprinkler system, shall be mowed with a walk-behind hydro-drive commercial type finish mower, with a minimum of 36 inch mowing width floating deck, and a mowing height capability of 3 inches to 6 inches. Commercial riding lawn mowers will not be used in these two areas. The minimum allowable mowing height for all areas shall be 3 inches. Blades shall be sharpened and/or replaced often enough to assure smooth grass cut. All mowers shall be constructed to distribute grass clipping evenly to prevent clumps or windrows. Trimming equipment shall consist of power hand mowers, weed eaters or other type power trimmers, weed whips, and other equipment and tools as may be appropriate for the task.

Stockton Lake is a flood control reservoir in Missouri, with numerous parks and access areas managed by or leased from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Park areas at Stockton Lake Project offer a wide variety of recreation facilities including boat launching ramps, campgrounds, full service marinas, picnic areas, and sand swimming beaches. Many routine maintenance items are contracted to the private sector. Mowing, refuse collection, and facility cleanup are just a few of the activities that are performed by private contractors for the Corps of Engineers at Stockton Lake Project. The Contractor shall not commit or permit any act which may interfere with the performance of work by another Contractor or Government employee(s). Volunteers may be utilized in the parks. Volunteers receive and follow instructions from a Government representative, not the Contractor. The Contractor should not consider any volunteer as his/her employee. The Contractor shall be liable for any damages or injuries caused by their pets. When outside, pets shall be on a leash at all times. Smoking is not allowed in all Government buildings, including shower buildings, vault toilets, etc. Smoking is also not allowed by the Contractor while in direct contact with the public. The Contractor shall not possess, during the performance of this contract, any item, including firearms, that can be used as a weapon. Title 36 regulates firearms on Federal property. The road across the dam may be closed from time to time during the life of this contract. The closure of the dam may continue for several months under certain security, construction, or maintenance circumstances. The Contractor shall be prepared to take an alternate route during these times, at no additional cost to the government. After award, but prior to start of services, the Project Office will arrange a Post-Award/Pre-Work conference to be held at the Project. The purpose of the conference is to discuss contract requirements and details of contract performance, in order to develop a mutual understanding of both. A Prework conference will likely be held each year in the spring prior to start of services under any renewal options that may be exercised. In addition, other meetings may be held as necessary. The Government reserves the right to schedule meetings with the Contractor. Meetings shall be scheduled to take place at the Project Office as necessary to ensure strict compliance with the terms of the contract, to coordinate work schedules in compliance with the contract specifications, and to arrange a satisfactory operating agreement. After award, all documents and related correspondence shall be routed through the Contracting Officer or his Representative (COR) at Stockton Lake Project Office. Payment will not be made for services not performed. The Contractor shall provide the Project Office with an invoice for each mowing that is ordered, after performance of the services ordered, requesting payment for ordered services. Payment shall be made in accordance with the Prompt Payment Act. Payment will be made via VISA card immediately upon satisfactory completion of services, or if the vendor doesnt accept VISA, then payment will be made via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) into the Contractors banking account approximately 30 days after the last day of services received for the billing period, or 30 days after receipt of the invoice, whichever is later. To enable EFT, the Contractor will be provided a blank direct deposit form.

SAFETY: Appropriate measures shall be taken to protect the general public from accidental injury. All services shall be performed in accordance with applicable safety requirements set forth in Corps of Engineers Manual EM-385-1-1, Safety and Health Requirements Manual and supplements thereto (copies are available from the Project Office). ANY EQUIPMENT OR MATERIALS NOT IN CONFORMITY WITH THE SAFETY MANUAL SHALL BE REMOVED FROM GOVERNMENT PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY. Prior to beginning work on this contract the Contractor shall have an approved Accident Prevention Plan. This plan shall be in accordance with the most recent EM 385-1-1. The plan is intended to be a viable document and enhance the safety of Project staff and visitors. The Contractor will be expected to take a vital interest in safety, hazard, and educate their employees to work and plan their work safely. Proper driving techniques and defensive driving will be practiced to prevent vehicle accidents and property damage. In order to provide safety controls for protection to the life and health of employees and other persons; for prevention of damage to property, materials, supplies and equipment; and for avoidance of work interruptions in the performance of this contract, the Contractor shall comply with all pertinent provisions of the Federal, State, and local regulations and shall take or cause to be taken such additional measures as the Contracting Officer may determine to be reasonable and necessary for the purpose. Contractor vehicles shall be equipped with 4 way flashers and turn signals in operating condition. Flashers shall be activated when vehicles are parked on, or traveling slowly along roadways. Any injury, property damage, equipment malfunction, or safety hazard observed by the Contractor shall be immediately reported to the Project personnel. Tractors and self-propelled mowers over twenty (20) drawbar horsepower and/or exceeding 1,000 pounds gross weight shall be equipped with an approved rollover protection system, flashers, and seatbelts. Seatbelts shall be worn and flashers activated at all times when equipment is in operation. The Contractor's tractors and other slow moving equipment shall be equipped with the slow moving vehicle sign. All mowers and trimming equipment shall be equipped and maintained with safety chains, discharge deflection devices, and/or other approved safety devices in accordance with EM 385-1-1 to prevent accidental damage or injury from objects thrown by mowers. The Contractor shall take such measures to protect the public and property from foreign materials thrown from rotary mowers and other rotating equipment while operating in public use areas and on public roadways. Information on Security Requirements and Environmental Compliance can be obtained from cynthia.a.clark@usace.army.mil.

ORDERING: Mowing orders (referred to as mowings) may be placed by the Stockton Lake Project Office verbally Monday through Friday, between the hours of 7:30 am and 4:00 p.m., and then will be followed-up in writing (faxed, e-mailed, or mailed). The Contractor shall commence and complete mowing services on the date specified in the order. The entire area shall be mowed within a one-day period. Work will not normally be permitted on weekends or holidays, and shall not begin prior to 7:00 a.m. nor continue past 8:00 p.m., unless these restrictions are specifically waived in writing by the Contracting Officer or his Representative. The Contractor shall assure that all work be accomplished within the time frames specified above. Services rendered outside these time periods will not be compensated unless specific written approval has been given by the Contracting Officer or his Representative. Payment will not be made for services not performed for any reason, including but not limited to inclement or wet weather conditions. In the event adverse weather or ground conditions occur after placement of an order for services that would create unsafe working conditions or result in damage to vegetation or turf, the Contractor shall cease operations and contact project personnel. Work affected by adverse conditions shall be stopped, restarted, or rescheduled at a mutually agreed upon time, to the extent possible. Payment will not be made for work not performed as a result of wet weather conditions unless an alternate date for services can be arranged, and services are performed.

The following FAR and DFARS provisions and clauses apply to this solicitation and are incorporated by reference: 52.204-7, 52.212-1, 52.212-2, 52.212-3, 52.212-4, 52.212-5, 52.217-5, 52.217-7, 52.217-8, 52.217-9, 52.219-6, 52.219-26, 52.222-21, 52.222-26, 52.222-35, 52.222-36, 52.222-37, 52.222-41, 52.222-42, 52.222-43, 52.222-44, 52.228-5, 52.232-18, 52.232-19, 52.232-33, 52.232-34, 52.236-4035, 52.237-1, 52.237-2, 52.246-4, 52.252-1, 52.252-2, 252.212-7001, and 252.232-7003.

Department of Labor Prevailing Wage Rates apply to this procurement and may be obtained from cynthia.a.clark@usace.army.mil.