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Council committee approves new vendor for Zamboni blade sharpening after quality complaints
Summary
Warwick City finance committee approved awarding a two-year Zamboni blade-sharpening contract to AccuGrind after the previous vendor’s work prompted complaints; committee discussion noted a prior vendor fire, account transfers and quality concerns with an interim vendor.
The Warwick City Council Finance Committee approved awarding a two-year contract for Zamboni blade sharpening to AccuGrind, citing quality concerns with the interim vendor and the submission of the only responsive bid.
Christy, a city staff member who answered committee questions, told members that AccuGrind had been the city's longtime vendor, suffered a facility fire in 2024 and temporarily stopped servicing accounts. “AccuGrind is back in business doing some Zamboni blades. They submitted a bid,” Christy said, and committee members were told AccuGrind was the only bidder for the next two‑year cycle.
Committee members pressed staff on price changes. One council member noted that the prior vendor quote had been about $8,000 for one year and asked why the new two-year request was for $20,000. Christy explained the earlier $8,000 figure covered a single year with a different vendor, while the new award covers two facilities and an expanded two‑year term. The committee also heard that some blades returned by the interim vendor, Valley Machine Knife, came back with rust and other quality issues.
The item was on the finance consent calendar and moved forward with the consent vote.
The committee discussion also included technical details about the blades: they are approximately 77 inches long, made of steel and have a specific bolt pattern for the city's machines.
The committee did not amend the award and did not request additional competitive sourcing; the procurement staff said the city received a single responsive bid for the advertised cycle.
