Hopkinton awards three‑year IT support contract to Uplink; council approves 24/7 remote service arrangement

The Hopkinton Town Council voted to award the town’s information-technology support contract to Uplink IT, approving a multi‑year contract that staff said will provide 24/7 remote response and reduce the town’s exposure from relying on a single in‑house employee.

The town manager presented the results of a competitive procurement and recommended Uplink as the lowest responsive bidder with experience serving nearby Richmond. The manager told the council the vendor guaranteed a two‑hour remote response time and included a remote-first troubleshooting model with on‑site support when required. For onboarding the contract, staff said they expected a two‑week onboarding window during which the town would continue to use its current IT contractor part time.

Staff recommended a three‑year contract to lower the overall cost compared with a single‑year term while negotiating an exit clause that would allow either side to terminate on 30–60 days’ notice if services failed to meet expectations. The manager said year‑one cost under a three‑year deal would be about $47,250, with year‑two roughly $43,003; staff said the multi‑year approach produced substantial savings compared with maintaining a full‑time, in‑house IT salary and benefits.

Councilors discussed coverage during public meetings. Staff proposed hiring a part‑time, stipend‑paid technician to attend council and planning meetings and update the website; that person would be backed by Uplink’s remote staff if a problem exceeded the part‑timer’s capacity. The council moved and approved the award; votes recorded included James, Davis, Roy and Burns in favor.

Ending: The council authorized award of the contract; staff will finalize a written agreement with the vendor that includes the town’s requested termination clause and will return any required paperwork for contract execution.