Board approves payments for two unauthorized procurements, cites administrative fixes
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Summary
The Board of Estimates voted to authorize payment of two outstanding invoices — $16,596.77 to CoStar Group and $52,133.11 to Abacus Corporation — after procurement officials explained each arose from either an expired license or an under-encumbered blanket purchase order.
The Baltimore City Board of Estimates on Jan. 22 authorized payment of two outstanding invoices identified as unauthorized procurements: a $16,596.77 invoice from CoStar Group and a $52,133.11 payment to Abacus Corporation for security services at three MOED locations.
Procurement's chief of procurement, Adam Manning, told the board the CoStar invoice resulted after an earlier license expired in March 2024 and the vendor continued providing services through Sept. 30, 2024 while the city finalized a replacement contract. "We're asking permission to pay the outstanding invoice of $16,596.77," Manning said.
Michael Moxton, the city's chief financial officer, said city appraisers in Finance use the CoStar platform. Manning said procurement is clarifying which finance staff use the service and will provide that information to the comptroller.
On the Abacus invoice, Manning said a city-wide blanket contract had been used by multiple agencies and the department that drew on the contract (MOED) did not encumber sufficient funds before the SCON closed. "We did not encumber the correct amount of funds, we need to come back to the board to ask for permission to pay the bill," Manning said. Procurement told the board it will hire a contract administrator in early February to monitor spend rates and alert agencies as contracts approach depletion.
Both items were approved by voice vote with no roll-call tallies recorded in the transcript.
Ending: Procurement said it will follow up with the board to identify which finance staff use CoStar and to provide details about the new contract administrator's responsibilities.
