Council approves hiring process to pick construction inspector for Tully’s Road Bridge

The town council voted to use a qualifications‑based selection process to select a construction inspector for the Tully’s Road Bridge replacement project.

Under Purchasing Ordinance 43-10D4 the council approved the use of QBS without a secondary request-for-proposal process, consistent with the local transportation capital improvement program and the state's master municipal agreement (MMA). The council first voted to waive Rule 5 to consider the item and then approved the QBS route.

For the record, Alison Capashinsky, the town engineer, told the council the state had issued authorization to advertise for construction bids and that the MMA treats the construction inspector in a manner that requires QBS — a selection method that evaluates qualifications rather than price. Capashinsky said she coordinated with purchasing and the mayor’s office to determine the appropriate procurement path under town ordinances.

Council members asked clarifying questions about the bridge’s location (the bridge spans the Quinnipiac River near the Route 15 underpass) and whether prior bridge projects used a town-hired inspector. Capashinsky and other staff said this project differs from some earlier state-led projects, where the town did not hire a construction inspector. The council took a voice vote and the motion carried unanimously.

The action clears the procurement path for hiring an inspector in advance of spring construction; staff said the state authorization to advertise came the prior week. No contract award was voted at the meeting; the council approved the selection method.