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Council approves statewide CAD MOU; motion to hire forensic auditor on legal invoices fails
Summary
Council approved an MOU to join the state's new computer‑aided dispatch and records management system, accepting a $60,000/year ongoing cost; in separate debate, a proposed $50,000 forensic audit of legal invoices drawn from CLA failed after councilors questioned scope, cost, and whether to pursue an RFP instead.
A pair of procedural but consequential votes marked the latter portion of Tuesday’s Coventry Town Council meeting.
Statewide CAD MOU: Police Chief explained the state is deploying a modern computer‑aided dispatch (CAD) and records management system to replace the obsolete IMC platform. Coventry’s share of the program is expected to be $60,000 per year; the state has invested roughly $8 million to offset implementation costs. Chief said concurrent operation of the two systems will be required during migration and that the MOU locks pricing with a cap on future increases (up to 7% after the state’s guaranteed period). Council voted to approve the MOU and contract authorization (voice/roll‑call recorded in the meeting packet).
Forensic audit motion and debate: Council considered a resolution to hire CLA (claimed as the town’s in‑house auditor) for a forensic review of legal invoices at a not‑to‑exceed cost of $50,000. Advocates argued a third‑party forensic review provides independent analysis and may uncover double billing or billing mismatches; opponents urged slower oversight, internal review first, or an RFP to compare costs and scope. Concerns included CLA’s hourly rates, lack of a competitive process, and the possibility of additional legal costs tied to any audit. A roll‑call vote recorded a majority opposition and the motion failed.
Context and next steps: Council members said they will seek a quicker, lower‑cost path (mini‑bid/RFP) or fuller scope clarifications before reintroducing any forensic contract. The town manager suggested a weekly progress check‑in if an outside auditor were engaged and highlighted the need to avoid an open spending authorization without interim reviews.
