Selectmen approve $162,214 fire‑alert system contract after calls for more procurement backup

The Waterford Board of Selectmen voted July 7 to award a cooperative‑purchasing contract for a fire station alerting system to US Digital Designs (by Honeywell) for $162,214.27.

First Selectman introduced the award as coming via cooperative purchasing and said funds would come from architectural/engineering fee lines. Selectman Greg pressed for more documentation on competitive sourcing, saying, "If you go to a co‑op that takes a percentage fee and we didn't shop multiple co‑ops or put it out to bid, that's what they're going to assume." Greg said he wanted the backup quoted in the meeting packet before he could confidently vote.

Kim Allen and a representative of the building committee told the board the building committee had reviewed the matter, obtained quotes from the two vendors that supply the service and recommended awarding to the lower quote. "We are going with the lower of the two," Kim Allen said; she added the building committee's minutes and backup could be provided to the Selectmen.

After discussion and a motion to table that did not proceed, the board debated briefly and then voted by voice to approve the award. Several Selectmen requested that the building committee minutes and any additional quotes be attached to future packets to memorialize the procurement record.

What happens next: The fire department and building committee will handle contract implementation and supply the requested backup materials to the Selectmen’s packet. The award is for equipment associated with the town’s new fire station project.

Provenance: topicintro SEG 145; topfinish SEG 346