SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- WEATHER OBSERVATIONS
- Notice Date
- 3/19/2010
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Eastern Region Acquisition Division, Norfolk Federal Building, 200 Granby Street, Norfolk, Virginia, 23510
- ZIP Code
- 23510
- Solicitation Number
- EA133W-10-RQ-0435
- Archive Date
- 4/14/2010
- Point of Contact
- Linda M Mullen, Phone: 757-441-3436, Janie M Laferty, Phone: 757-441-6875
- E-Mail Address
-
Linda.Mullen@noaa.gov, Janie.M.Laferty@noaa.gov
(Linda.Mullen@noaa.gov, Janie.M.Laferty@noaa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The Government intends to solicit and negotiate on a sole source basis with the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory, P.O. Box 500, Top of BH Observatory Road at 13, Milton, MA 02186-0998 for the following requirement: This requirement is intended to provide all personnel, equipment, materials, services and facilities (except as otherwise specified), to perform the following: The Government will provide necessary maintenance (ASOS) required for the continuous function of Government owned equipment located at the observatory. The contractor shall record data and remarks on forms B-16 (Surface Weather Observations), F-6 (Preliminary Local Climatological Data) and B-83B (Record of Reference-Climatological Station Observations) for previous 24 hours, download ASOS data, compare ASOS data with other older technologies for the previous 24 hours, and update computer files including documents and spreadsheets, for the NOAA National Weather Service, Observations & Facilities Branch, 630 Johnson Ave., Bohemia, New York. All work to be in accordance with the Statement of Work included in the solicitation. The period of performance is April 1, 2010 through March 31, 2011, with priced options for four (4) additional years. Deliverables to be delivered to NOAA National Weather Service, Observations & Facilities Branch, 630 Johnson Ave., Bohemia, New York. In order to comply with the debt collection improvement act of 1966, all contractors must be registered in the central contractor registration (CCR) to be considered for an award of a federal contract. For information regarding registration in CCR contact the CCR website at www.ccr.gov/index.cfm. Authority: 41 USC 253(c)(1). The FSC for this is R427 and the NAICS Code is 541990, small business size standard is $6.5 million. The government intends to award a firm-fixed price purchase order for this requirement. The Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory is the sole provider for climatological weather observations and services at this site. The Federal government has stated that climate change is a national priority. This site is the only site where climate data has been collected in the same location for over 125 years. The cost to maintain this service is minimal for the support of climatic change research. The Blue Hill Observatory is home to the oldest continuously monitored meteorological records in North America, and its unique in the fact that the measurement site has changed very little since its foundation in 1885. Data gathering at this site was performed by National Weather Service personnel using the space (and utilities) provided by the Blue Hill Observatory Science Center until May of 1999. The NWS changed the nature of its presence at the site from that of NWS employees to a contract, and due to some facts that still apply today, the NWS asked Eastern Administrative Service Center (EASC) to enter into a sole source type of contract with the representatives of the Blue Hill Observatory Science Center. In a letter dated January 29, 1999 Dr. William Minsinger, President of the Blue Hill Science Center expressed their uneasiness at the prospect of non-NWS personnel using their facilities. In other words, letting contract personnel with which they are not familiar with into their land, facilities, etc., was not an option they felt comfortable with. Because of this, in his letter Dr. Minsinger also indicated the willingness of the Science Center to obtain the contract themselves to take on the responsibilities of the observational work. These are some of the items, still relevant today, for pursuing a sole source contract with the Blue Hill Observatory Science Center as opposed to an " outsider" contract: • The Blue Hill Observatory Science center has a long term agreement with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (owners of the building and former known as the Metropolitan District Commission) to provide all public programming in the newly renovated facility. This organization also provides the maintenance for the building and the grounds that surround it. • Access to and from the building where observations are taken is controlled by the Science Center, and have been provided freely until now. For contract personnel access to and from the Observatory would become an issue, including issuance of passes, badges, separate keys for those areas of the building we use, security, etc. • Another site is not acceptable as the whole purpose of this exercise is to maintain the 125 year record and its site intact. • The site has gone through renovations, and the Science Center Museum is now open. This observer on duty introduces climate measurement concepts to visitors to the Center. Anybody other than a NWS employee or observer provided by the Blue Hill Observatory Science Center is not acceptable. • The hiring of contract personnel will, by the very nature of the Observatory, necessitate that adequate training be provided by the NWS in the operation and maintenance of the unique equipment used at the site. These issues became irrelevant in 1999, including that of training, as the Science Center identified an observer with over 40 years of experience at Blue Hill, and two more part time meteorologists as ready to maintain the observational work for them, if the contract was awarded to the Blue Hill Observatory Science Center. Finally, and to quote Dr. Minsinger, "We are most willing to continue to support the current NWS observer with the current arrangement. However we feel that any other arrangement in which the Blue Hill Observatory Science Center could not directly participate in or indeed provide the observational work at the Observatory would prove entirely unsatisfactory." These feelings are still prevalent today. Therefore, it is the recommendation of the Eastern Region Headquarters that at this time the NWS enter once again into a sole source type of contract with the representatives of the Blue Hill Observatory Science Center. The proposed contract action is for supplies or services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of FAR 6.302(c)(1). Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit a proposal. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, all proposals received by 4:00 P.M. March 29, 2010 will be considered by the government. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement in the future. Evidence must be provided of ability to perform the required analysis. Responses to this notice, if any, must show clear and convincing evidence that competition would be advantageous to the government. Inquiries will only be accepted via email to Linda.Mullen@noaa.gov.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOC/NOAA/EASC/EA133W-10-RQ-0435/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Top of BH Observatory Service Road at 13, Milton, Massachusetts, 02186, United States
- Zip Code: 02186
- Zip Code: 02186
- Record
- SN02097624-W 20100321/100319235055-9175a60ddc3067e0e7468368b98994a5 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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