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Council approves a package of contracts; tables wastewater operator staffing contract for more information
Summary
The council approved multiple service agreements and purchases — including a four‑year telecom contract, an IT services amendment, a guaranteed‑income program contract and the purchase of police vehicles — but tabled a $432,750 temporary wastewater operator services contract to get staffing details.
The Santa Fe governing body approved a set of procurement actions on Wednesday that included information‑technology, public‑safety and social‑services spending while tabling one high‑dollar temporary staffing contract for the wastewater plant.
Major approvals: - Telecommunications and network engineering on‑call services: The council approved a four‑year professional services agreement with HEI Inc. for $649,125 to provide telecommunications and network engineering support. - IT/ERP support: The council approved Amendment 3 to a professional services contract with Cyber Pathway, Inc. increasing compensation by $1,771,968, bringing the contract total to $6,078,116.40 and extending the term to June 13, 2026; IT director Eric Candelaria presented the request as support for the ERP and Kronos systems. - Guaranteed income: The council approved a professional services contract with UpTogether (doing business as FIINational DBA UpTogether) to disperse cash assistance funds for the mayor’s guaranteed income pilot in the amount of $999,000 through June 30, 2027. - Animal shelter services amendment: The council approved Amendment No. 1 to an emergency contract with Santa Fe Animal Shelter (Bridal Shelter and Humane Society, Inc.) to increase compensation by $150,000, raising the contract to $278,000 and extending the term six months to continue shelter services while an RFP is completed. - Police fleet: The council approved purchase of 20 police vehicles including upfitting and equipment for a total of $1,892,661.18 from Chalmers Ford and Code 3 Service.
Tabling and follow‑up: - Wastewater operator temporary staffing contract: The council tabled a request for approval of a general services agreement with Southwest Water Works LLC for operation and maintenance services in the amount of $432,750 for one year. Staff said the contract funds temporary certified operators (state Level 4) to cover 24/7 operations; interim utilities director Jesse Roach said the department faces multiple vacancies and that the temporary contract is a stopgap while the city pursues retention and recruitment strategies. Councilors asked for a detailed staffing count and comparison to internal staffing costs before approving the item; staff agreed to return with more detail on August 13.
Staff presentations and questions: Directors and division staff answered questions about timelines and existing procurement documentation. For the wastewater item, Director Roach and other staff said they are pursuing retention incentives and revised job descriptions to reduce reliance on expensive contract operators; councilors asked what the difference would be in cost and how many vacancies the city must fill to avoid future temporary staffing contracts.
Taper: Several of the approved items fund ongoing city systems and recently launched programs, while the wastewater operator contract remains unresolved pending staff follow‑up. Councilors emphasized urgency to restore staffing levels while also pressing for cost and staffing detail.
