Danbury Board of Awards unanimously approves 11 contracts, including radios, cameras and a wellness app

The Danbury City Board of Awards on Aug. 7 approved 11 procurement and contract items ranging from a medical-consulting extension to public-safety radios and a downtown camera system, with votes recorded as unanimous for each motion.

Purchasing agent Chip Folke summarized the first item as a one-year extension for medical consulting services previously provided by William Begg III, MD, proposing a new billing rate of $1,250 per month (about $15,000 a year). Fernando Carvallo moved to award the contract contingent on execution of the agreement; the motion carried unanimously. "For the record, these services were previously awarded to William Begg the third, MD," Folke said during the presentation.

The board added custodial services for the 98 Elm Street shelter to the existing contract with Preferred Cleaning at a quoted price of $1,125 per month for weekly cleaning. The health and human services requisition sought full-year service. A motion to add the location to the existing contract was seconded and approved.

The fire department presented a two-year Cortico wellness app subscription from Lexipol, priced at $45,970 and framed by staff as an ARPA-funded, sole-source enhancement to the department's existing learning-management system. The assistant chief moved to award the contract, saying the app is "an enhancement of what we already have within the fire department." The board approved the award, contingent on ARPA consultant review.

The board reviewed sealed bids for OSHA-required testing of fire hoses, pumps, aerials and ground ladders. Although the apparent low bidder, Comm Links, quoted $20,050, staff reported problems with its submitted paperwork and references. The assistant chief recommended awarding the work to 2 Day Fire Testing at $23,002.30 as the responsible bidder; the board accepted that recommendation.

Emergency management requested Motorola Solutions radio equipment for the mobile operations center at a quoted $26,230.38 under a Connecticut master contract, with a sole-source justification tied to interoperability with existing public-safety systems. The board approved the purchase pending consultant review and compliance with ARPA requirements.

A proposed downtown camera system from United Alarm was presented at an approximate cost of $76,651.60 and described as partly funded by a $50,000 City Center grant with the balance paid from ARPA. Staff said United Alarm was the incumbent integrator and that integration into the existing system was a material factor; the board voted to award the work subject to ARPA consultant review and funding confirmation.

Technology services brought several lifecycle and software items: five replacement computers for the 911 dispatch center (Wholesale Computers, $15,120); Microsoft Windows Server 2022 licensing for public-safety infrastructure (accepted low quote, $35,718); a milestone payment to Tyler Technologies covering work from July 3, 2024, through December 2024 (one-time contractual fee, not ARPA-funded); and a Clio (Themis Solutions) legal-files subscription including migration and training ($22,236). The board approved each motion, generally noting consultant or contract ratification contingencies where ARPA funds were involved.

Finally, the board approved annual GIS system support and maintenance from CAI Technologies for $20,200, described in staff materials as a sole-source award because CAI developed the city's customized digital tax maps. After that vote, the board adjourned.

The meeting included multiple ARPA-funded items and several sole-source or incumbent-provider justifications; most motions were presented as contingent on consultant or ARPA-administrator approvals. The board did not record detailed roll-call tallies for every vote in the transcript beyond several aloud "aye" responses and repeated statements that motions carried unanimously. The next procedural step for several awards is contract ratification and consultant review where ARPA funds are implicated.