Okay, this is the Board of Awards for Wednesday, February 4th, 2026, calling the meeting to order 10 03 a.m.

Uh my name's Chip Folpe.

I'm the purchasing agent.

We have with us an attendance today, Attorney Caitlin Gruce, Assistant Corporation Counsel.

We have Mrs.

Virginia Warner, our director of human resources.

We have Chief Richard Thode, our fire chief.

We have Mr.

David Day, Superintendent of Public Utilities.

We have Ms.

Kara Pronty, our assistant finance director, and remotely we have Mrs.

Fernanda Carvalho, Director of Health and Human Services.

We have four items on the agenda today.

The first item, the wordy, uh First Amendment to memorandum of understanding, MOU and sub-recipient agreement between the City of Danbury and Association of Ligious Communities, ARC to manage and operate the Danbury Support Center at 41 New Street Shelter and 98 Elm Street Shelter.

And just the background on this, uh the subject uh MOU and sub-recipient agreement uh was previously awarded at our April 23rd, 2025 Board of Awards.

Uh there was a not to exceed amount at that time of $530,000.

And the period had been extended to June 30th, 2026.

Uh Mrs.

Carvalho submitted uh two uh updated documents, uh the new MOU and the new sub recipient agreement.

And it's indicated in there that the uh funds have increased to a not to exceed amount of $659,839.

Uh the source of funds uh are the same.

State of Connecticut Department of Housing 2024, small cities uh community community development block grant and the emergency shelters services grant.

Uh the funding periods have been updated uh in the new documents uh to reflect the new amount.

Uh the performance period remains the same, June 30th, 2026.

So if I said all that correctly, we need a motion from you to allow uh for execution of these two new uh documents.

I make a motion to approve the MOU and subrecipient agreement as presented.

Okay.

Second by Ms.

Prunty.

Any discussion?

See none, all in favor.

Caitlin Chris, I vote in favor.

Fernanda Carvalho I vote in favor.

All right, motion carries unanimously.

You're all set, Fernanda.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Uh moving on to item number two.

This was the bid for the request for proposals, medical services provider for public safety in all city positions from the resources department.

And for the record, uh three firms submitted proposals.

Uh, these proposals were reviewed by the uh human resources staff uh for their ability to provide the city of Danbury uh police and fire independent medical exams, IMEs, and any other IMEs that may be required.

Um Mrs.

Warner corresponded to me that uh uh the committee that reviewed them found experience and first choice to be comparable.

Uh, while the occupational uh medical on the go did not provide the same services that were being required under this particular bid.

Uh the recommendation by the committee was to award to Imperium, and that was based on their larger network of physicians in Connecticut and also their practice of charging the same rates for every uh position within the same specialty.

Uh, in contrast, uh first choice charges different rates uh for different providers uh within the same specialty group.

And it's also noted that some of the rates at uh first uh that um uh first choice charges are higher than the imperial and imperium rates.

Uh and it's also indicated to me that the police pension board uh is aware of this recommendation and they indicated their approval of imperial.

So I said all that correctly.

We need a motion from you to approve condition on execution of an agreement.

So I need the motion to approve the uh to award the next year in the window.

So speak.

Okay.

All right, second by Mr.

Protect.

Any discussion?

Seeing none, all in favor.

In favor.

Caitlin Gruce, I vote in favor.

GD Well.

All right, motion carries you have you're also uh moving item number three.

Uh Pierce original equipment manufacture, OEM parts and services for the fire department.

For the record, uh we have previously purchase order, uh the firematic supply.

This is for uh purchase of the subject to parts and supplies uh and services on an as needed basis.

Uh the initial amount of the purchase order was not to exceed 34,000.

Uh, we just received a request from the fire department to increase that purchase order by an additional 11,000 dollars.

So the cost will exceed my limit of authority, which is now 35,000.

So we will need board boards approval.

I should note that the uh initial purchase order was issued to firematic based on sole source.

Uh firematic is the only authorized peer's dealer for the Connecticut territory.

So your motion so I'll make a motion that uh we approve the amendment to the original uh uh purchase order to exceed the 35,000 and then go off for any purchase of the finance.

Yes.

Second by Ms.

Prunty.

Uh the separation.

Any discussion?

See not all in favor.

Kate Lingers, I vote in favor.

Richard Zod vote in favor.

All right, motion carried unanimously.

And moving on to the last item.

Uh, this emergency replacement of process piping at the marjorie water treatment plant.

So I'll give a little background layman's terms if you want to correct me if I misspeak or add anything.

So yeah.

So uh Mr.

Day had reached out uh to call me the other day to inform me of this emergency.

Uh and he also followed up my phone call in email to Mr.

Dan Garrick, the finance director, and to attorney Robin Edwards, our deputy corporation counsel, uh, to make them aware and provide additional details.

Um basically what Mr.

Day advised me is the process piping that's associated with the dissolved air flotation DAF saturation air tank SAT at the Marjorie Water treatment plant needed to be replaced as soon as possible.

Uh it was discovered that the condition of these pipes was adversely affecting the operation of the DAF system.

And uh Mr.

Day had indicated to me too that uh these pipes were scheduled to be replaced as part of the margery treatment plan upgrade, but that work probably would not take place for another two to three years, and the condition of them warrants that we address the situation right away.

So at this time, I believe we're gonna look to declare an emergency and waive the formal bidding requirement.

I'd like to declare an emergency, do the existing conditions of the piping and uh waive the formal bidding requirements to allow the immediate replacement of this pipe.

All right, a second.

Second by uh Mrs.

Prunty and the discussion.

So I believe what we're gonna be looking to do is to use GHD, who's our on-call engineering contract, and they're already working on the margery, correct to have them work with a contractor.

In this case, the one you're recommending is CH Nickerson.

Yeah, they were the ones that originally built the margery plant, and they're readily available and they're familiar with the piping configuration that's there.

So probably in the best interest to have them do this work.

Correct.

I would I would like the board to approve the use of the design bill process using GHD as the design engineer and CH Nick as the contractor to help us assist with the work because they built the plant in 98.

Uh, and because uh they're available and they have very good experience in this work.

We should probably make that as a motion, I guess.

So it's gonna be um the estimated amount could be the estimated amount of work could be in the range of 100, 150,000.

That doesn't include GHD's work.

Right.

And if that's the case, then it would uh require uh prevailing wage schedule from the state, and it's also gonna require bonding.

So um, I guess I would make a motion then to re that they're gonna have GHD do the engineering part as part of their uh on call with the city, and then you want to use CH Nickerson uh based on their experience and availability to work with uh GHT to get this work done, contingent on an agreement and any bonding and wager requirements.

And make that motion and I also reviewed that with uh do with CH Nickerson this morning.

They're at the plant as we speak because I told them about the prevailing wage rates and about the need for a contract and bonds, and we have to work all that out.

So okay, so that motions made second, second motion.

Any discussion?

I don't have an exact cost yet.

Okay, so we're figuring out whether they're able to give us a cost or if we're gonna do a time of materials.

Uh we have the right people involved.

Okay, and uh uh the bottom line is to do the work necessary to uh to get this pipe working as it was when it was new.

Just keep in mind 100,000 for the work part of it, would that would trigger the wage requirement?

I already followed the bottom.

Yeah, they told me their workers get paid prevailing wage rates, so but but he's we're gonna plan on that.

Okay, all right.

So motion of second, we have discussion, further discussion.

See, none all in favor.

Caitlin Chris, I vote in favor.

Dave David vote in favor of killing motion carries yes.

Motion adjourned.

Motion seconds printing, all in favor adjourn.

Aye, opposed, so carry.

Thank you, everybody.