Board of Awards Meeting - February 22, 2026

This meeting of the Board of Awards for the City of Danbury, chaired by Purchasing Agent Chip Folpe, convened on February 22, 2026, at 10:03 AM. Present were Attorney Caitlin Gruce, Human Resources Director Virginia Warner, Fire Chief Richard Thode, Public Utilities Superintendent David Day, Assistant Finance Director Kara Pronty, and remotely Health and Human Services Director Fernanda Carvalho. Four agenda items were addressed, each resulting in unanimous approval.

First Amendment to MOU and Sub-Recipient Agreement for Shelters

• Background: Amendment to the memorandum of understanding and sub-recipient agreement with the Association of Religious Communities (ARC) to manage the Danbury Support Center at 41 New Street and shelters at 98 Elm Street. The original agreement, awarded April 23, 2025, had a not-to-exceed amount of $530,000 and a performance period extended to June 30, 2026. The amendment increases funding to $659,839, sourced from the State of Connecticut Department of Housing 2024 Small Cities Community Development Block Grant and the Emergency Shelter Services Grant. The performance period remains unchanged. Motion made and seconded to approve the documents; all members voted in favor (Caitlin Gruce and Fernanda Carvalho explicitly noted their support). Motion carried unanimously.

Medical Services Provider for Public Safety

• The city issued a request for proposals for a medical services provider to conduct independent medical exams (IMEs) for police and fire positions. Three firms submitted proposals. The review committee found Experience and First Choice comparable, but recommended Imperium based on its larger network of physicians in Connecticut and its practice of charging the same rates for all positions within a specialty. First Choice charged different rates across providers, and some were higher. The police pension board was informed and approved the recommendation. Motion to award to Imperium and authorize execution of an agreement was made, seconded, and approved unanimously.

Fire Department OEM Parts and Services Purchase Order Increase

• A sole-source purchase order with Firematic Supply for Pierce original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts and services was previously established at $34,000. The fire department requested an $11,000 increase, bringing the total above the purchasing agent's $35,000 limit, requiring board approval. Motion to approve the amendment to the purchase order was made, seconded, and carried unanimously.

Emergency Replacement of Process Piping at Marjorie Water Treatment Plant

• David Day reported that process piping related to the dissolved air flotation (DAF) saturation air tank (SAT) was in poor condition, adversely affecting plant operations. The pipes were scheduled for replacement as part of future plant upgrades two to three years out, but immediate action was needed. Motion was made to declare an emergency, waive formal bidding, and authorize use of GHD (the city's on-call engineering firm) as design engineer and CH Nickerson (original plant builder) as contractor for the work. Estimated construction cost is $100,000–$150,000, which will trigger prevailing wage requirements and bonding. CH Nickerson was already on site. Motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• The board unanimously approved the first amendment to the MOU with ARC, increasing shelter funding to $659,839.
• The board awarded the IME services contract to Imperium.
• The board approved an $11,000 increase to the Firematic Supply purchase order for Pierce OEM parts.
• The board declared an emergency, waived competitive bidding, and authorized the use of GHD and CH Nickerson for urgent pipe replacement at the Marjorie Water Treatment Plant.
• The meeting was adjourned by unanimous consent.