[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",6454654,"mediaKeyId","5861930-ed8d019f2c4b7587157ca6f20d3d624d","parentId",5861930,"title","Committee approves payment to street-sweeping vendor, seeks vendor-management fixes","audioSeconds",837,"startMs",2161000,"endMs",2998000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5861930-ed8d019f2c4b7587157ca6f20d3d624d&start=2161&end=2998","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5861930-ed8d019f2c4b7587157ca6f20d3d624d/thumbnail_2161000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6454654/Providence-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Committee-approves-payment-to-street-sweeping-vendor-seeks-vendor-management-fixes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454654-90973ec61ae8d5e859292cf556a681dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771179461&Signature=abuDe78uLMTSisIObPlQq19vcMJMrPjTmhxl9v30DEw1L-Sqody59SxClWwWGhWMGjvjCiMEQCgpwgxM8gH4fEgTL0KRGfj1WBm-ydP6ayNFFHMw5mdiNT~HOe9uGviIh7X02ry3zCYFf2TbqUfSdO00Lv~sKDqYvzRWfSYihRHcM-0K9lJ6KCHOvMiW9OWIgcuH2Bbn~tgs-zSiaylnIbpMIExzx4cmGkobufqvtOVZXBZ-5zdw7cZrQn46BC7s7udaZe4dcHXHXR9oZ2ItBSYR4TFJitz8KSEI9E5~pNVEbFXTJu-IfKGkrq0lRqU0SI9lUs4rvbBMBzAKeqUB4Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Providence City Council","date","2025-09-30T21:13:09Z","article","The Providence City Committee on Finance voted Sept. 25 to approve a resolution authorizing payment to ABLE Industrial Solutions for previously rendered street-sweeping services and to examine procurement and vendor-management practices following lapse of an earlier contract.

Staff told the committee that a contract for nighttime street sweeping had expired in July and that, while a new contract had not yet been fully in place, the vendor continued to perform sweeping services. The director (name not specified in the transcript) said she ordered staff to stop the service once she realized there was no active contract but that ABLE Industrial Solutions had already performed work for which the company is owed compensation.

The resolution was for $64,305.50, read into the record as the amount for the contract award. Committee members pressed staff on why work continued after the contract expiration, whether the new contract retroactively covered the work period, and whether ABLE’s billing rate or scope differed from the prior agreement. Staff said they would provide the committee with the new contract and the dates when payments to the vendor began.

Several members expressed concern about oversight and the need for a vendor-management system. One committee member described the lapse as “a hiccup” and said the city had an obligation to pay for services performed, while others said they were dissatisfied with the contracting lapse and requested follow-up documentation and corrective steps. The solicitor confirmed that the matter before the committee was payment for services already performed rather than the merits of awarding future contracts.

Councilwoman Grace moved approval; Councilman Madoff seconded. The committee approved the payment by voice vote; ayes were recorded and no opposition was announced. Members asked staff to return with: the new contract, the exact start date of the new contract and payments, and recommendations for a vendor-management system to prevent similar lapses across departments.

ABLE Industrial Solutions (vendor) was identified in the record as the recipient. The committee did not discuss any litigation or other legal challenge related to this payment, though the solicitor noted that a prior vendor protest had been handled by the solicitor’s office.

The committee also asked staff to supply documentation showing whether the vendor’s hourly rate or total price differed from the previous contract and to include contract dates in the follow-up distribution to council members.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Providence Committee on Finance-Tuesday, September 30, 2025-5:30 PM","oneSentenceSummary","The Providence City Committee on Finance approved payment of $64,305.50 to ABLE Industrial Solutions for street sweeping services provided after a prior contract expired and urged the city to implement a vendor-management system and to produce the new contract for review.","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},6454657,"Committee approves contract payment, sends fountain servicing to formal procurement",843,1306000,2149000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5861930-ed8d019f2c4b7587157ca6f20d3d624d&start=1306&end=2149","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5861930-ed8d019f2c4b7587157ca6f20d3d624d/thumbnail_1306000.jpg","/articles/6454657/Providence-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Committee-approves-contract-payment-sends-fountain-servicing-to-formal-procurement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454657-1666be5c2eae22629fb2c35ddfbb1407/orig.mp4?Expires=1771179461&Signature=O2vxduptvx9LdevDvm8YkJC8xMSsCjJt8rCJPvQe87vQVh9VzfTX6XeNfdqnRH3-AXYxIPjzy5e5576zH16eSfWdqqrTQ0KWWXOAjs6rSfzYL2k~Zl55tnOS0kf4dNEfzBcYDFAXBdJDNaRlVUSJ-~VZQpAmPBv8H0Ls45sf5GF3kZs1jZsUDysNdpcodMEzkx8qNhYVdry9GLzudv2l1uYxgrgITo7kS8T1pyzbqnVBludLuV8i~r5~14N3reWSk2RqJYOf21ivfWfOZvJi7pm3C9nmJsfc-3iZhIjgu5kUDVMSXXr8FRz84VgDYvIzgp-D~AyJLUcR~2D-sDq4SA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Providence City Committee on Finance members on Sept. 25 approved a resolution to authorize payment and contract processes to secure fountain-servicing work and to pursue a wider request for proposals in December.

The item covered emergency and interim work to maintain three city fountains, including the city’s large, historic fountain on Pebble Hill. Committee members heard from the Department of Public Works director (name not specified in the meeting record) that Delta Electro Power is the only local vendor currently willing to service the large fountain and that winterization and immediate repairs are time-sensitive because cold weather can damage the systems.

Committee members pressed staff on procurement steps and long-term planning. The director said the city intends to issue an RFP in December and will try to craft it so firms can bid on one or more fountains rather than requiring a single bidder to cover all sites. The director also said the sewer division and parks staff have some in-house knowledge but not enough capacity to sustain long-term maintenance of the largest fountain.

Committee members said the city needs a longer-term capital plan for the fountains. One member recalled that the city had set aside several hundred thousand dollars in a past capital improvement program for fountain work, though the committee did not state an exact remaining amount. The finance chair recommended moving forward with an interim payment if approximately $50,000 would “get this project functioning and winterized through the season,” characterizing that amount as a short-term measure while staff pursues the RFP and a longer-term solution.

Committee discussion also addressed whether the current engagement should be treated as a sole-source procurement because few vendors offer the specialized services. Staff said they will try in the RFP to provide for smaller-scope bids — for example, allowing a vendor to bid on only one fountain — to broaden the pool of potential contractors.

The committee approved the item on a voice vote. Councilman Sandusky moved approval, and Councilwoman Andeslaw seconded; the motion carried with ayes recorded and no opposition noted.

Members requested follow-up reporting: the committee asked staff to return with the RFP language, any vendor responses, and a long-term plan or capital strategy for fountain maintenance and replacement. The solicitor, Ken Cheverini, was present for the discussion and answered procedural questions during the item.

The vote approved the immediate contracting/payment steps described to the committee; staff will pursue the formal RFP and report back with results and recommendations for longer-term funding and management.","The Providence City Committee on Finance approved payment to a contractor to winterize and service downtown fountains and directed staff to issue a broader RFP in December after members expressed concern about limited vendor options and long-term maintenance costs.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee approves payment to street-sweeping vendor, seeks vendor-management fixes

Committee approves contract payment, sends fountain servicing to formal procurement