Board renews armed security contract amid Council questions on wages and oversight

The Baltimore City Board of Estimates approved the first one-year renewal option of a citywide armed security-guard services agreement with Urban Development Solutions Inc. for $5,500,000.

Chief Procurement Officer Adam Manny presented the request as the first of two one-year renewal options. "These services are provided at several buildings and facilities across the city," Manny said. He told the Board a further renewal would likely be brought before the Board next year and that a new solicitation would follow after the final renewal.

Manny said hourly pay for contracted armed guards varies by shift and duties and "varies anywhere between $30 an hour to $50 an hour." Council members pressed procurement and department leaders on how the city accounts for worker pay and how the city decides to deploy armed versus unarmed security.

DGS Director Humber Ki Atida said the cityhas a committee with BPD and agencies that evaluates whether a security deployment should be armed or unarmed. The director said the committee has historically focused on new contracts, but agreed the committee could review existing contracts that are up for renewal and provide that analysis before the next renewal. "We could set up, working with the BBMR, a review ahead of time when the renewals ... are coming up," Attila said.

Council members and the Comptroller raised living-wage questions during the discussion. Manny said the city's living-wage and prevailing-wage rules set minimum floors and that the contract requires submission of payroll sheets to the wage commission. Several board members asked for briefings and further analysis on whether armed security is cost-effective compared with unarmed security and how often armed security has had to rely on Baltimore Police Department backup.

The agenda listed the item as SB2512910 (renewal for armed security guard services) at $5,500,000. The Board approved the renewal by voice vote.