West Haven ARPA committee approves multiple vendor invoices, withhold final payment on Child Development Center roof until closeout paperwork

The West Haven ARPA Committee on Feb. 4, 2025 approved multiple vendor invoices and reimbursements tied to ARPA-funded local projects and discussed several ongoing capital and service efforts; the committee withheld final payment on the Child Development Center roof project because the contractor had not produced required closeout paperwork including warranties and maintenance documents.

The approvals covered a range of city projects and vendor bills, from library reimbursements and street/stormwater design to large construction draws for the Allentown garage and equipment purchases funded from ARPA allocations. Committee members said they are consolidating accounting into a Munis spreadsheet and will publish trackers to City Hall and the municipal website ahead of the next meeting.

Among the actions the committee approved were payment requests and reimbursements for: Carmody ($20,744); two UHY invoices (post-credit amounts of $8,660.50 and $1,581.25 after a $38,000 credit); Frankston Fence ($3,893) for gate repairs at Veterans Park; a small guardrail repair at the Community Garden ($18.40); a labor reimbursement for a contractor identified as Ernie ($9,378 covering work from Oct. 4 through Dec. 27); NewReach (food bank) invoice ($15,043.19); SLR design services for Fairview Avenue stormwater ($18,533.50, signed by Abdul); library Navigator-system reimbursement ($2,895.49); City Hall window and door work ($20,395.55); two PRISM removal invoices ($6,631 and $10,362.06); Coastal Material Testing ($770); Diversity construction application draw for the Allentown garage ($77,662.50); a group of six Stryker equipment invoices and one credit (invoices listed in the agenda at $47,002.88; $6,113.60; $800; $98; $32,803.79; $30,262.46 and a credit of $2,151); Russell Dawson design invoice for the Allentown garage ($600); an invoice for emergency services consulting (ESCI) for the Fire District Center study (reported as 25% complete; the city will pay because the three fire departments already reimbursed the city for their shares, which the committee noted as about $31,000); an Antonazi hazardous-materials invoice for Westshore ($2,301.33, to be paid from Westshore funds); New Haven Symphony arts bid ($23,900); downtown custom digital banners ($7,910.46); West Haven Voice advertising/payments (committee approved $1,500 on condition that the three related invoices be attached to the payment); New England Yankee Construction abatement/clearance work (motion carried; amount recorded in packet as $1,500); Lathrop architectural design services for library work on the Blake Building ($12,506.18); Century Protective Services warming-center guard invoices (three invoices presented and approved; amounts cited in the packet and initialed by Mr. Fontana); and multiple Classic Drywall facility-upgrade invoices for City Hall (invoices listed in the packet and approved).

In one exception, the committee confirmed the punch list work for the Child Development Center roof is complete but said it will not release final payment until the contractor provides the required closeout paperwork, including warranties and maintenance documentation. The chair directed staff to withhold that payment pending receipt of those documents.

Several items were reported as in-progress or awaiting conditions before invoicing: boardwalk monitoring cameras (awaiting other camera projects to start under contract), Painter Park tennis courts (mobilization begun; work waits for warmer weather), Veterans Field bleacher repair (contractor mobilization pending), and various stormwater catch-basin invoices (the mayor has pushed efforts with relevant agencies; invoices expected at the next meeting).

Committee members said they will circulate the Munis spreadsheet and updated project trackers prior to the next meeting to improve transparency of balances and drawn funds. A number of approved payments were described as funded from project-specific ARPA buckets (for example, Allentown ARPA share for certain Stryker equipment invoices; Westshore invoices to be cut from Westshore funds).

The committee adjourned after approving the listed invoices and confirming follow-up steps for outstanding paperwork and next-meeting materials.