Council approves contract award for mail and document services with clarifying language on variable costs

Council approved Resolution 56‑2026 awarding an RFP for mail management, mailing and document systems and an associated equipment lease, but flagged important procurement language issues for staff to clarify before final contract execution. The discussion centered on separating predictable fixed costs (e.g., equipment lease, service fee) from variable usage costs (postage, meter usage) and establishing a clear not‑to‑exceed figure for budgetary planning.

One council member pressed staff to capture the fixed and variable elements in the contract so the town could budget accurately: "If you have historical usage which you should, then you should be able to put some kind of a value on that," the councilmember said. Staff reported the recommended vendor indicated willingness to provide explicit breakdowns and a signed lease to reflect fixed elements; council authorized the award and asked the town manager and procurement staff to ensure the contract includes explicit fixed elements and not‑to‑exceed language before signing.