Danbury Board of Awards approves ARPA-funded purchases, sole-source contracts and a wastewater contract extension

The Danbury Board of Awards unanimously approved a slate of purchases and contract actions at its June 5 meeting, awarding equipment and services that city staff said were largely funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Purchasing agent Chick Folpi told the board the meeting included 22 items ranging from ambulance‑billing services to playground equipment and technology upgrades. Folpi said Digitech agreed to a one‑year extension on the city’s ambulance billing, revenue‑management and analytics contract, extending service through April 17, 2025.

Why it matters: The approvals provide near‑term operating equipment and professional services for public safety, utilities and school projects and rely in many cases on ARPA dollars and established state or on‑call contracts, city staff said.

What the board approved: The board voted to award or approve the following notable items (motion and vote recorded at the meeting):

- A one‑year renewal to Digitech for ambulance billing and analytics (renewal through 04/17/2025). - A 2024 Ford F‑150 special services vehicle for Emergency Management (Generous Ford), quoted at $49,209, funded with ARPA dollars. - Radio equipment for an Emergency Management vehicle to Marcus Communications ($25,850.89) and vehicle upfitting to Precision Brake Works ($58,816.65), both ARPA‑funded. - Technical rescue coats for the Fire Department from Brigham Industries, 99 units at $535 each (total $52,965), ARPA‑funded. - Rogue Fitness equipment for the Fire Department (sole source), $16,640.44, ARPA‑funded to maintain compatibility with existing equipment. - A one‑year extension of the city’s wastewater operations agreement with Veolia, renewed through 06/30/2025 under the existing contract terms. - Design and construction services for school and park projects, including Fryer Architecture for a Danbury High School courtyard pavilion design ($20,500), and a $117,812.30 purchase order to BMP Construction for pavilion phase 1. - Metering equipment purchases: Badger‑compatible registers from Stiles ($17,146.08) and Neptune‑compatible registers from Tally Sales ($24,307.20); both were presented as sole‑source awards on compatibility grounds. - A block of technical configuration hours for public safety IT/network redundancy from Total Communications ($15,000) and ruggedized laptops for public safety from Dell Technologies ($17,551.65), both ARPA‑funded.

On sole source and compatibility: City staff repeatedly cited compatibility with existing equipment and state contract designations when presenting sole‑source justifications. For the Badger and Neptune meter purchases, staff said the requested vendors were the authorized local representatives and that the items would be compatible with existing city meters.

Direct quote: Folpi summarized the procurement approach and the ARPA requirements, saying the vendors’ state or on‑call contracts and the ARPA consultant review would satisfy funding and procurement requirements.

Votes at a glance: The meeting’s formal roll calls and vocal votes recorded board members (as they stated them on the record) voting in favor; most motions carried unanimously as recorded on the meeting transcript.

Next steps: Staff said many awards were contingent on standard contracting steps and ARPA consultant approval where noted. Where bids were rejected (an equipment trailer procurement), staff will rework specifications and solicit new proposals.

The board adjourned following the final vote.