Danbury City Board of Awards approves 11 contracts including $655,124 fire‑station alerting system and $619,864 emergency roof

The Danbury City Board of Awards met Sept. 25 and approved 11 contract awards and purchase orders for city departments, with several procurements contingent on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) compliance reviews or formal contract execution.

Purchasing agent Chipotle opened the meeting and guided the board through routine and emergency procurement requests. "We have 11 items on the agenda," Chipotle said, summarizing department requisitions and sole‑source justifications.

Major approved items included an award to US Digital Designs (a Honeywell company) for a fire station alerting system — $538,038.41 for initial equipment plus $117,085.68 for five years of service and support, for a total award of $655,124.09. The board approved the award contingent on consultant (BKF) review and contract execution; board members flagged that multi‑year service beyond the first fiscal year may require future budget action.

The board also approved an emergency roof replacement at fire headquarters under Garland DBS’s Omnia cooperative contract for $619,864. The purchase followed an infrared scan showing substantial unseen water saturation in roof insulation. A staff member said, "There's a high percentage of water soaked into the insulation that can't be seen by the naked eye," explaining the decision to treat the roof as an emergency and coordinate work with planned mechanical replacements.

Other approvals included: • A sole‑source, one‑year public service announcement contract for childhood vaccines with Berkshire Broadcasting, not to exceed $73,175; the/vendor was presented with a sole‑source justification citing local coverage. • Otis Elevator awarded a full‑service elevator maintenance contract at $59,760 (Omnia cooperative pricing). • A $19,020 sealed‑bid award to Triple A Police Supply for 15 holographic weapon sight systems (transcript: "holographic hybrid weapon site systems"), approval contingent on ARPA compliance review. • Motorcycle communication radios from Northeast Communications (Norcom CT) at $13,032 (sealed bid, ARPA language included). • A $23,800 change order for customized compartments to 10‑75 Emergency Vehicles, raising a previously awarded vehicle purchase to $161,700. • Motorola Solutions equipment for command‑vehicle radios at $38,648.06 under the state contract (ARPA‑funded request). • Total Communications on a sole‑source basis for as‑needed firewall/VoIP services at a rate of $179.10 and not to exceed $17,014.50; the firm is identified in the record as the city's current managed services provider. The award was approved contingent on consultant review.

All motions on the 11 agenda items were moved, seconded and carried unanimously. Several awards were explicitly noted as dependent on ARPA approval or on consultant/contract reviews (BKF and O'Connor Davies were named in the record). The board accepted consultant recommendations for phased work on the water treatment plant controls upgrade, approving inspection and design first and reserving construction procurement for later.

The board adjourned following the final vote.

Votes at a glance: Items approved unanimously and noted contingencies where recorded — Item 1 (Berkshire Broadcasting, PSAs, up to $73,175, sole source, ARPA compliance where applicable); Item 2 (Otis Elevator, $59,760); Item 3 (annual AM inspections, Ted & Howard/Tatum Howard, $17,000); Item 4 (Elm Electrical, inspection/design, $25,024); Item 5 (Triple A Police Supply holographic sights, $19,020, ARPA contingency); Item 6 (Northeast Communications motorcycle comms, $13,032); Item 7 (10‑75 Emergency Vehicles change order, new total $161,700); Item 8 (US Digital/Honeywell station alerting, $655,124.09, contingent on BKF/contract); Item 9 (Motorola Solutions radios, $38,648.06); Item 10 (Garland DBS emergency roof replacement, $619,864); Item 11 (Total Communications firewall/VoIP support, not to exceed $17,014.50, sole source, contingent on consultant review).

The board recorded that some ARPA‑funded purchases will require additional verification steps before final contract execution. No formal dissent or roll‑call opposed votes were recorded in the transcript.