North Stonington approves three-year IT contract with Progressive Computing

The North Stonington Board of Selectmen voted unanimously June 2 to approve a statement-of-work contract with Progressive Computing Inc. (formerly Star Computers) to provide IT services for the town.

First Selectman Bob Carlson said the contract’s initial term is 36 months with automatic one‑year renewals thereafter and cited a monthly fee of $5,798 — roughly $69,576 a year — as being below the projected cost of a single full‑time IT employee when benefits are included. "We're saving that kind of money on the fringe and also saving a few dollars on the actual cost," Carlson said, arguing the municipality benefits from a team of specialists available on demand.

John Gashon, who serves as the town’s IT liaison, described steps to contain hourly charges by handling simple physical tasks in‑house (for example, changing monitors or running wires) and using the vendor for more technical or remote support. "We're trying to cut down as much non‑necessary labor as possible to keep expenses down where they're billing us by the hour," Gashon said.

Selectmen asked about contract length and opt‑out provisions. Carlson and others said the board can opt out after the initial three‑year term if the town is dissatisfied. Board members described the vendor’s recent merger and said service levels had remained steady or improved since the transition.

A motion to approve the statement of work between Progressive Computing Inc. and the town was made, seconded and approved by voice vote. The board did not provide a detailed roll call in the record; the meeting transcript records the measure as approved unanimously.