RFI2014TURF Request for Information

Request for Information
                                RFI2014TURF
                   Artificial Sport Turf for Football Fields
1.0 SUBJECT
The Rockwood School District (the District) is considering the installation of artificial
turf on the football fields at our four high schools. Funding has not been allocated by the
District for these projects and timelines have not been established. Parent booster clubs
are considering fundraising campaigns to support the funding of these projects.

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to gather information about
vendor turf products for the development of non-restrictive specifications that offer
maximum life cycle of the installation, minimal ongoing maintenance costs, and
maximum year round use of the facility. Ultimately, the intent is to use the
specifications (or equivalent specs) in the formulation of a Request for Proposal (RFP).
To the extent simplifying assumptions are needed, respondents are encouraged to make
and document such assumptions in their responses.

Non-solicitation – You should not contact members of the Rockwood School District
staff and Board of Education during the course of this RFI process without first notifying
Bill Sloan, Director of Purchasing (636.733.2032).

2.0 DISCLAIMER
This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not
constitute a solicitation. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. Responses to this
notice are not considered as offers and will not be accepted by the Rockwood School
District to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses
associated with responding to this RFI. The responses received as a result of this RFI may
be used to develop a Request for Proposal (RFP) which may result in an agreement and
open purchase order issued to one or more successful vendors.

3.0 POST-RFI MEETING
After reviewing the information prepared by each vendor, the District will prepare a list
of questions and hold an optional meeting for vendors to respond to the questions.

4.0 DESCRIPTION AND INSTRUCTIONS
The Rockwood R-VI School District is seeking information from the synthetic turf
industry that will assist in the development of specifications that may be published in a
future Request for Proposal for the provisioning and installation of turf fields. The
District is most interested in turnkey solutions that will include all permits and services
required to convert fields from natural grass to artificial turf.

Please submit responses (5 copies) to the point of contact at the address listed below in
CONTACT INFORMATION by 4:00 PM on June 16th, 2014 You may also submit
supplemental hardcopy materials such as brochures, etc. (5 copies each).

 Please address each section below in your response. We need to understand the level of
expertise and experience companies in this industry possess.

          Section 1 – Corporate Expertise

Briefly describe company history in this industry and resources used to install, service,
and support turf field installations.

           Section 2 – Installations

Please provide a list of high school and higher education installations completed in the St.
Louis area or in the state of Missouri and the date they were completed. Describe any
lessons learned with those installations and the company’s role in obtaining necessary
permits from local agencies. Provide contacts at those installations in consideration of
possible site visits.

Indicate if company employees are used to install and maintain fields or is this sub-
contracted to another company. Do you recommend a turnkey project approach? What
are the advantages and disadvantage of requiring a turnkey solution? How long does it
take to complete an installation and what time of the year do you normally install most
fields?

          Section 3 – Product Information

Briefly provide information about the product your companies have installed in actual
installations including the following:

               o Manufacturing location
               o Fiber technology of the turf
               o Indicate if multiple grades of products are available and typical life
                 cycle of each.
               o Sub-base

o In-fill
               o Drainage
               o G-Max rating
               o UV Protection
               o Warranty (length and coverage provided) for Product and Installation
                 Services
               o Safety features to minimize athletic injuries
               o Are track systems offered by your company? If so, indicate if there
                 are multiple grades available for tracks.

          Section 4 – Timeline

Please describe a typical turnkey timeline for installs. Please note our football fields do
have existing artificial rubberized tracks surrounding the natural turf football fields.

          Section 5 – Ongoing Maintenance Costs

Please describe the ongoing maintenance of your fields to ensure the effectiveness of the
turf and overall appearance. Provide the typical annual cost for this effort if this cannot
be completed by District staff. List any specialized equipment needed for annual
maintenance.

          Section 6 – Financial Considerations

Please indicate if your company offers any funding programs that can be used to generate
public financial support, financing arrangements, discounts or incentives related to
multiple installations. Please describe those programs or incentives.

Please provide guidance on the funding commitment required to purchase and maintain a
turf field over a 10 year period compared to natural grass fields. Please list assumptions
for typical site preparations associated with an install.

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   Section 7 – Specifications

       RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SPECIFICATIONS

It is important for the District to have non-proprietary specifications. Please list the
features that you believe are essential to a quality field turf installation. Provide
comment in the following table under the appropriate heading that you recommended for
a RFP. See clarification notes below table.

The left side of each row should list recommended non-proprietary specs. The right side
of each row can be used to provide additional detail regarding specs of the products and
services your company provides that meets the needs for a high school installation. The
goal is to have objective criteria on the left and information about the products or services
you represent on the right. You may forward samples of your product and make
reference to the sample on the right side of the following table. Expand the table as
necessary but keep comments brief as possible.

      Non-proprietary specification                      Company specifications
   1. Manufacturing and Installation

   2. Subcontractors Used

   3. Company location – proximity to
      Rockwood

   4. Experience with MSD or other St.
      Louis County Agencies

   5. Warranty

   6. Site Preparation

   7. Quality of the materials

   8. Ongoing maintenance

   9. Track replacement or repair

10. Other

Category descriptions:
   1. Manufacturing and installation – how is the level of manufacturing quality
       measured for turf products. What is critical to ensuring a quality install occurs?
   2. Is the use of sub-contractors for installs common in this industry?
   3. Company location – provide advantages of requiring a company to have local
       presence in or near Rockwood?
   4. Experience with MSD or other St. Louis County agencies regarding permits and
       inspections – should we include a requirement that the company has experience
       working with the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District? See 4. Description
       section addressing permits
   5. Warranty – What is a realistic warranty term? What is the realistic life of the
       product?
   6. Site Preparation – what is normally included in site preparation? Does type of
       drainage impact site prep? Do local agencies require site prep inspections?
   7. Quality of Materials - What is the common quality measurement for all turf
       products? How should we interpret G-max ratings? What should be considered
       when evaluating fiber technology, in-fill, sub-base and student safety.
   8. Ongoing maintenance – describe typical maintenance on turf fields. What should
       be considered when evaluating ongoing maintenance?
   9. Track replacement or repair – How should existing tracks be protected during the
       install phase? When would we realistically expect to replace the track and how
       does replacement cost differ from a new install.
   10. Other – As you think of what makes your products special, what other
       specifications should we include?

          Section 8 – Other Recommendations

Please provide any additional recommendations that are viewed as critical requirements
to be included in proposals for turf installations.

         CONTACT INFORMATION
All inquiries for District requirements or distribution of product information, brochures
etc. shall be directed to the Point of Contact (POC) for this Request for Information:

William M. Sloan
Director of Purchasing and Transportation
Rockwood School District
111 East North Street
Eureka, MO 63025-1229
(636) 733.2032
sloanwilliam@rockwood.k12.mo.us