Danbury Board of Awards unanimously approves 13 procurement items, including Westlake water plant contract

Jake Volpe, Danbury’s purchasing agent, opened the Board of Awards meeting at 10:04 a.m. on May 14 and read the attendance on the record. The board took up 13 slated items and approved each by unanimous vote.

The meeting’s first substantive item was a proposed five‑year, grant‑funded agreement with vendor Inspect2Go to provide licensing and inspection software to the Health & Human Services Department at $20,000 per year. Volpe said the department’s director, Fernando Carvallo, submitted a sole‑source justification pointing to Inspect2Go’s existing statewide installations and compatibility with recently adopted food‑safety code. "This is from Inspect2Go… the cost would be $20,000 per year for a five year term," Volpe said. The board voted to award the contract as a sole source contingent on execution of an agreement acceptable to Danbury City.

Other routine awards included a purchase of 1,500 feet of 36‑inch polyethylene pipe from Core & Main under the state contract for $78,120 for the highway department and a sole‑source repair award to C.N. Wooded Viro for a Vacall truck for $24,880.80, which staff said is the only authorized dealer for the required equipment.

The board approved a final invoice of $9,782 to Hemlock Construction for emergency repairs to Great Pasture Road; Volpe said that emergency was previously declared April 30 and the payment will be charged to the highway operating budget (roads, curbs and sidewalks).

The fire department was authorized to contract with Station Smarts LLC for records‑management and policy‑manual software with a $10,500 startup payment and estimated second‑year costs of $7,200. Staff told the board that two other vendors (NeoGov and Esper) had provided quotes but did not meet the compliance features required by state and federal code.

Technology Services obtained approvals for two items: an increase of $12,450 to a previously authorized change order for Microsoft SQL database services with Computer Integrated Services (CIS) at an $83 hourly rate to address NextGen work and close out the year; and optional project #5 under the city’s existing Pictometry International agreement for GIS imagery and change‑finder work at $51,487.90.

The Town Clerk’s office secured a sole‑source renewal with Cox Systems for the existing land‑records management platform, a 37‑month hosted agreement from June 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028, with a prorated June charge of $1,705 and annual costs of $25,560; the contract includes per‑instrument E‑Verify fees and microfilm‑image fees as described in the proposed agreement.

Construction services were authorized to award Reliable Excavating a $24,620 on‑call contract purchase order for Oak Lane sidewalk replacement. A small amendment was approved to increase a previously awarded McKinney Buchanan HVAC contract for the fire headquarters by $4,718 to address additional valves and piping discovered once work began.

Public Utilities requested and received multiple approvals related to Lake Kenosha and plant operations. The board approved two WSP USA change orders — $14,000 for peer review and project coordination on Lake Kenosha and $9,000 for additional engineering to investigate temporary treatment options for the Lake Kenosha well — both described in proposal letters from WSP.

On a larger construction item, Volpe reviewed the history of an emergency waiver and the RFP process for control‑system work at Westlake and Marjorie Water Treatment Plants. Based on a recommendation from GHD project manager Richard Walker, the board awarded Westlake construction work to Elm Electric at a revised construction amount of $447,091; Volpe confirmed that the price includes prevailing state wages and the required bond. The award was made contingent on the subsequent agreement and carried unanimously.

The meeting closed after a final unanimous motion to adjourn. Several votes recorded individual affirmations on the record (for example, Deputy Corporation Counsel Robin Edwards and others were recorded as voting in favor), and Volpe noted the mayor would execute agreements where required.

Votes at a glance: all 13 agenda items were approved unanimously, including the Inspect2Go sole‑source license, Core & Main pipe purchase, Hemlock Construction final invoice, Station Smarts contract, CIS change order increase, Pictometry optional project, WSP amendments, and Elm Electric Westlake construction award.

Next steps: awards contingent on execution of written agreements (where noted) and standard purchasing processes; the mayor’s signature is required for some renewals and sole‑source contracts.