[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6520171,"mediaKeyId","5334499-2417f222b1b21138501e58832dea3bd3","parentId",5334499,"title","Committee debates $7.7 million cart replacement plan, financing mix and software choice","audioSeconds",1691,"startMs",2939000,"endMs",4630000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5334499-2417f222b1b21138501e58832dea3bd3&start=2939&end=4630","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5334499-2417f222b1b21138501e58832dea3bd3/thumbnail_2939000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6520171/Providence-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Committee-debates-77-million-cart-replacement-plan-financing-mix-and-software-choice","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6520171-64192c3fa7511fa0c738e599ee3fe602/orig.mp4?Expires=1771127744&Signature=dvG~emmcqG8-GC6ugdM0PWqG-MfFX81YIcaHLIAA23gSGzFi0FjyKfeM1LCeycbnCcQXqEuf~T7YK~7qVkO-rFRva7ejc7NrJO0xqsTqPax531wD60r5ia2HYps7RmNOqI7stntxVgEkI8TJ~SBVRuISX-q6DiIznnvgdpTPx04Qc3WWnBEpac1IhwlyCz5huOU25PHxtG8gMxTRBHpV6LYEn353PV3XTWzuR1fR7-X7rsvHRfBbLHfrh86yTtWrFTgnoGrVas~HNe2IFbbXSb6amWAQC2pyVqKCBLMRI516cgbN88qaHdKJElbkuu4BZNNPIHuOPBveKPgQx0MNGg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Providence City Council","date","2025-07-09T00:57:00.67Z","article","The Providence POCS committee reviewed a proposed contract award listed in the packet as \"requested company,\" for $7,689,450 under the Department of Sustainability to replace the city's aging trash and recycling carts and related cart-management software.

Staff described a multi-part funding stack that includes a recycling partnership grant of $375,000, a prior EPA-related grant of roughly $1,825,000 cited in the presentation, and a negotiated borrowing package intended to finance the remainder. Staff said negotiations with a financing partner reduced certain fees (for example a debt-service reserve), producing what staff described as effective borrowing terms that include a portion at 0% over a defined term and other tranches at low single-digit interest; staff said the combined effective borrowing rate on the negotiated terms is 1.15%.

Committee members pressed staff on procurement details: the solicitation asked bidders to price 12-inch wheels (base bid) and 10-inch wheels (alternate), and include cart-management software; staff said vendors supplied both options, that DPW will test physical samples before finalizing the wheel choice, and that the recommended vendor will handle assembly, delivery and recycling of old carts. DPW staff said the current municipal carts are approaching or past their expected useful life (manufacturers' guidance ~10 years) and that replacement is expected to reduce contamination and improve recycling rates by providing consistent cart sizing and color/ lid conventions.

Members asked about software price variation between bidders, warranty tracking and replacement part logistics. Staff said recommended vendor offered a 10-year warranty on parts and that the cart-management software would track serial numbers, manufacture dates and warranty information to improve claims and a warranty-replacement process.

Staff described timing: if financing and vendor awards are finalized, the procurement lead time from ordering to initial deliveries is about 5-6 months, so winter would be the earliest delivery window. Staff also outlined a planned public education campaign tied to the rollout: mailed postcards, language translations (English and Spanish plus QR-code links to additional languages), city press releases and inserts attached to carts explaining acceptable materials.

The transcript records detailed discussion and clarification requests but the meeting record does not include a clear final vote or roll-call outcome for the contract award in the segment provided. Staff indicated they will return with final financing documents and a required modified award to the vendor once those items are complete.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Providence Committee on Finance-Tuesday, July 8, 2025-5:30 PM","oneSentenceSummary","The POCS committee discussed a proposed $7.689 million contract to replace Providence's municipal trash and recycling carts, including financing that combines grants and low-cost borrowing and a cart-management software component.","taxTitle","Providence City, Providence County, Rhode Island","taxId",3637,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6520176,"City committee selects USI Insurance Services as benefits consultant after competitive RFP",845,2115000,2960000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5334499-2417f222b1b21138501e58832dea3bd3&start=2115&end=2960","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5334499-2417f222b1b21138501e58832dea3bd3/thumbnail_2115000.jpg","/articles/6520176/Providence-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/City-committee-selects-USI-Insurance-Services-as-benefits-consultant-after-competitive-RFP","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6520176-a3add011e54d069cc280b05151a45984/orig.mp4?Expires=1771127744&Signature=EsTlzkzw148jNfoCYh6X4tEQXedJ84MM7LO9IrWK1p~sx0pPgKD3IlP9Gnil6zaAiVpr7zz~yDmO4TuW69Ce6xfpsUI~8AMGecr-NoNvuo42SpCQuIMX19jkNPpZ8mjT1X89jT9LPTzben79xZ0rYnmGVtYm--MowWH8OK8fV7o9a0a2ttCAG9qHWTrv~u~m2qWRs77oVK~pbuzg2~5i5lREEOzp~7EFh41Q4TOarxLR~C7qjVPiCHXXV3ulj8iPZIiF5lIxzxADYA1xQ1ZPAISmUulzQFi0bpJckCZE7nfQMaMiVFLcd~DxskSNWEht8764X4Y1dm-LOza-46o9-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Providence POCS (People, Culture and Service) committee on July 25 recommended awarding a health-care consulting contract to USI Insurance Services LLC, citing the firm's flat-fee proposal and services tailored to the city's complex employee benefits program. The committee discussed four proposals received in response to a March request for proposals.

The city's presenter said Mercer, the city's consultant for roughly 12 to 13 years, did not submit a timely proposal; two bidders proposed commission-based models, which staff said could create future variable costs. The presenter said USI matched the city's preferred flat-fee approach for years 1 and 2 at $190,000 per year, with an increase to $210,000 in year 3. The city's current contract is $190,000 per year.

Staff described USI's offering as including training and employee engagement support, actuarial and data-analytics services, benchmarking, and a focus on cost containment strategies. The city noted the lowest bidder's commission-based structure and additional variable charges for auditing and certain services as reasons to prefer USI.

Committee members asked about transition timing (the current consultant's contract expires July 31) and whether USI could begin implementation quickly; staff said USI represented it could mobilize promptly. Committee members also asked how the consultant interacts day-to-day with human resources and finance staff; staff said the consultant is a regular contact for carrier issues, budgeting, utilization and compliance matters.

A motion to approve the resolution authorizing the contract award was made and seconded; the committee recorded the motion as approved during the meeting. The contract value listed in the meeting materials was $590,000 (the packet listed the award by vendor and department under the board-of-contract-and-supply procedure). The award will move to the Board of Contract and Supply for final contract execution as required by the procurement code.

Votes at the committee meeting were recorded by voice as \"Aye.\" No roll-call tally with individual member names was transcribed in the meeting record.","The Providence POCS committee recommended awarding a three-year health benefits consulting contract to USI Insurance Services LLC after a competitive RFP; members said the firm matched the city's desired flat-fee structure and offered training, actuarial services and data analytics.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6520160,"Finance staff and committee debate CIP timing, tracking and spending capacity",2460,7200000,9660000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5334499-2417f222b1b21138501e58832dea3bd3&start=7200&end=9660","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5334499-2417f222b1b21138501e58832dea3bd3/thumbnail_7200000.jpg","/articles/6520160/Providence-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Finance-staff-and-committee-debate-CIP-timing-tracking-and-spending-capacity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6520160-4a069e7b78a01f9dfdacfcf2d0a3cf76/orig.mp4?Expires=1771127744&Signature=firD-cmTDn9MT01J4g4jSjdMnzipTV58y37YZDlJBL7dGbZA1C92Abfe1YsvKPpyUVCLawPTdmAmeO3nRGXiPq~ovzjrXydHk3z6BOHjO1qEZNSfXg6ZnLWKdo4aVN6~TPDJZupfHp4lQK8VP0PWzcBNVQ6nxbxisg~VldPy9-Ot6xLEvvLnzy9yL6NVM2D64VwryO7e4mR3SN0lojaDYFGoBMfmgqYKtbgCdKXCbXvSwr2gZUKwGY3aProcpf5-OqhEcICAuaxrOgpWG64MD-lXYvXO6tHW-AcSydC-X0QhRDtTBvLyU6324DTghy85cRHK4-wCEkf4E1wK1eZj~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Providence finance staff and POCS members spent a substantial portion of the meeting on the city's draft capital improvement plan (CIP) for fiscal years 2026\t2030. Deputy finance director Crystal Lundberg and Finance Director Sarah Stewart explained why the FY24 CIP had not been formally rolled forward and described a new, project-level coding system intended to track projects by funding source and project manager.

Staff said the city has been operating without an approved CIP for a year and that bond proceeds from prior issuances remain to be spent. Staff presented a \"holistic\" approach that compiled approved projects, existing encumbrances and department-level project plans and explained the 2026 column includes efforts to exhaust older bond dollars so the city can avoid IRS arbitrage and grant-expiration issues.

Committee members raised concerns about the late timing of CIP submissions, the difficulty of reconciling multiple bond series and project spreadsheets, and the need for clearer red-line comparisons between the 2024-approved plan and the draft 2026 plan. Staff acknowledged historical gaps in centralized project tracking and described steps to improve controls: routing purchase orders through the ERP (Lawson), requiring finance review before POs are issued, producing monthly requisition packets for the Providence Public Building Authority (PBA), and integrating transaction-level data into budget reporting so project managers can see budget-versus-actuals in near-real time.

Staff said they will continue reconciling legacy encumbrances and expect the annual audit and year-end close to improve data accuracy for next year's CIP process. Committee members asked for earlier calendar timing and more council engagement in next year's CIP development; staff said they welcome council input and plan to bring more complete reports and red-line materials to follow-up meetings.

The committee asked departments (parks, DPW, public property) to be ready to walk through funded projects in detail at follow-up sessions; staff said they will schedule additional CIP meetings for line-item diligence and to finalize funding alignments.","Committee members and finance staff discussed the FY26\t2030 Capital Improvement Plan, focusing on delayed approvals, the need to consolidate project accounting across bond series, challenges deploying prior bond proceeds, and steps staff are taking to improve project tracking and payments through the ERP and monthly PBA reporting.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6520165,"Committee awards Longmont Community Center contract after bid irregularity; Martin Service Company recommended",1077,5498000,6575000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5334499-2417f222b1b21138501e58832dea3bd3&start=5498&end=6575","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5334499-2417f222b1b21138501e58832dea3bd3/thumbnail_5498000.jpg","/articles/6520165/Providence-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Committee-awards-Longmont-Community-Center-contract-after-bid-irregularity-Martin-Service-Company-recommended","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6520165-833fda5f7e95282bcc7a2a8e6360b510/orig.mp4?Expires=1771127744&Signature=PZufyj4U0OrR-fTrbMxMP6~Tc8lArvBE42wUgoLQWPS1QL~Br6vKXvuEydGN8DZCnQWUhv7VYJss03wz7mrxcIIIG5MajtuPSvzwqyz-BKNGHjxhWdi-lVUFUhLtVIENQsa53bwQ1YphVmRYshQJFI-yFr2-RYaJ6Iw53rf-2bGqN1QpXfHjLeDYVjILHNm8Q6JAZCi8ugc95M1iw6tcLiNgVjfu2U41R75S~V96i45D4vciy~MZs-jfnSr1-blD80TOmYb8NPrpM8H2SDtuS2OzTC6ccrLHW289BCgEx9kSFTVdfHnbyYNu8-myxY133-~2gnI68EY09ImPtsffvA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The POCS committee recommended awarding a general-contractor contract for the Longmont Community Center to Martin Service Company for $1,326,836, after the apparent low bidder omitted a required page containing alternate pricing. Staff said the project is fully funded by the state's ARPA Coronavirus Capital Project Fund (CPF) and described a review of sealed bids and follow-up unit-price clarifications.

According to staff, the originally-low bidder (Duvall Masonry Construction) failed to include a critical page in its sealed bid packet that listed alternates and unit prices; when staff sought unit-price clarifications from the two responsive bidders, differences in how bidders allocated division costs required clerical clarification. Staff said it would not be fair to permit the bidder that omitted the page to add material pricing after bids were opened. Staff recommended awarding to Martin Service Company as the lowest responsible responsive bidder after evaluation.

Committee members questioned the post-bid clarification process and whether the clarification changed competitive conditions. Staff said clarifications were limited to unit-price submissions where the two responsive bidders had differing interpretations of the specifications; those unit prices are not what determined the award but are used for later contract adjustments if needed. Staff also described the four alternates (pressure washing/concealing non-paved brick, replacement of lower-level flooring, wireless door access hardware, and an infiltration control system).

A motion to approve the award to Martin Service Company was made and seconded; the committee recorded the motion as approved by voice vote during the meeting. Staff said the project must meet the CPF program deadlines and that the grant can provide advance payments to contractors.","After a bid packet omission by the apparent low bidder, the committee recommended awarding the construction contract for the Longmont Community Center to Martin Service Company for about $1.326 million, funded by the state's ARPA Coronavirus Capital Project Fund (CPF).","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee debates $7.7 million cart replacement plan, financing mix and software choice

City committee selects USI Insurance Services as benefits consultant after competitive RFP

Finance staff and committee debate CIP timing, tracking and spending capacity

Committee awards Longmont Community Center contract after bid irregularity; Martin Service Company recommended