Board authorizes $96,985 Arcadis contract for sewer flow monitoring amid procurement concerns

The Board of Trustees voted to authorize the village manager to execute a professional‑services agreement with Arcadis of New York Inc. for up to $96,985 to perform sanitary sewer flow monitoring required under the village’s settlement with Save the Sound.

Gina (speaker 1), who presented the proposal, said Arcadis — the consultant that conducted earlier inflow and infiltration (I&I) studies and designed the recent rehabilitation work — is positioned to coordinate flow meter installation and interpret the results. "Arcadis will disseminate the data and provide a report and then be on board with us to communicate as necessary with Save the Sound," Gina said. The plan calls for flow meters placed in six village manholes and a rain gauge at the DPW site; monitoring will run for roughly two months and Arcadis will produce a report assessing whether the village meets the county discharge limit (150 gallons per capita per day).

Several trustees raised procurement concerns. A trustee (speaker 2) said the board has not consistently followed procurement rules in recent years and that a nearly $100,000 contract should have been compared against other bids. "This is almost $100,000 and I would have preferred to see 2 other bids," the trustee said. Gina replied that determining the correct manhole locations and coordinating with the consultant took time, and that Arcadis has the most relevant institutional knowledge and could meet the monitoring window.

Trustees also cited timing pressures tied to the settlement. The board discussed the monitoring start window (monitoring needs to start between March 1 and May 1 and continue for two months) and a reporting deadline: data and a report must be provided to Save the Sound by Aug. 1. Members noted past pattern of missed deadlines and potential regulatory penalties if required monitoring and reporting are delayed.

A trustee moved to authorize the contract, the motion was seconded, and the board recorded the motion as approved; the transcript records affirmative votes but does not list a roll‑call tally by name. The motion directs the cost to account G8120 — Sewer Fund Contractual Services.

Next steps: Arcadis and its subcontractor, Flow Assessment Services, are expected to install equipment and begin monitoring on the accelerated schedule; Arcadis will analyze rainfall‑adjusted flows and prepare the required report for Save the Sound. The board said it will increase focus on procurement compliance going forward.