Danbury Board of Awards approves ARPA-funded contracts, ratifies fuel-price lock for 2025–26

Chip Borkin, Danbury’s purchasing agent, called the Board of Awards to order at 10:05 a.m. and said, “We have 8 items scheduled on the agenda.” The board approved a series of procurement awards and a ratification of fuel-price locks during a meeting that lasted roughly under an hour.

The board approved multiple American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)–funded purchases and contract awards. Borkin recommended awarding a Kubota F3710 mower to the state-contract vendor Sibley for $35,453.68 after a higher quote of $44,947.76 from Westco Inc.; the motion to award passed unanimously. The board also awarded pavilion renovations at Hatter’s Park to BMP Construction for a low proposal of $249,747.15 and bathroom renovations at the Harrisburg facility to BMP Construction for $170,897.90; both awards were represented as covered under on-call CROG/region contracts, include prevailing wages and bonding, and were approved contingent on contract review.

Borkin presented a McKinney Mechanical quote of $178,630 to replace HVAC rooftop units at the Danbury Senior Center (Trane Technologies quoted $191,271), and recommended awarding the work under the city’s on-call HVAC services contract; the board approved the award. The board also approved a purchase of Dell Technologies equipment quoted at $17,764.06 under the state contract (a higher quote from CDW/G was $21,520.92).

On software, the board approved a substitution to Microsoft Office 2024 licenses for police dispatch. Borkin said the earlier award had been for the 2022 version at $29,006.88 but the quote expired; Dell’s 2024 state-contract price was $32,585.25 while a second quote from Total Communications was $45,858. A board member who spoke during the discussion (Committee member, S5) urged that future computer purchases include necessary software licenses to avoid mid-year budget shortfalls and said, “If we buy a computer now, we’re going to be buying Office no matter where it’s going,” arguing departments should demonstrate need before standalone license buys.

The board also extended an annual unit-price contract for playground wood fiber (parks maintenance) for one additional year; six firms on the prior award signaled they would extend, with Fiber Group requesting a minimal increase. Borkin noted the original one-year period expired on 09/20/2024 and the extension was approved unanimously.

As an added item, the board ratified a decision to lock fuel prices for fiscal 2025–26 after Normandy Mitchell offered a one-day opportunity to secure lower pricing. Borkin said current locked prices for the present fiscal year were heating fuel $2.7808/gal, diesel $2.8332/gal and unleaded $2.5199/gal, and that Mitchell confirmed proposed 2025–26 locks at heating fuel $2.649/gal, diesel $2.669/gal and unleaded $2.503/gal, representing roughly a 5% reduction on heating and diesel. The board voted to ratify the lock, contingent on a contract amendment.

Votes at a glance: the board recorded motions, seconds and unanimous approval for the charge-code correction for the downtown streetscape contract; a one-year extension of the playground wood fiber unit-price bid; award of a Kubota mower to Sibley; award of Hatter’s Park pavilion and Harrisburg bathroom renovations to BMP Construction; award of HVAC rooftop replacement at the Danbury Senior Center to McKinney Mechanical; purchase of Dell equipment under state contract; approval to substitute Microsoft Office 2024 licenses for police dispatch; and ratification of fuel-price locks for fiscal 2025–26. Each motion was carried by voice vote with affirmative responses recorded and no recorded dissent.

The meeting adjourned after the final voice vote.