NYS Office of the Comptroller - State Contract and Payment Actions in September

 

 In September, the Office of the State Comptroller approved 1,185 contracts for state agencies and public authorities valued at $48.9 billion and approved more than 27.1 million payments worth more than $25.9 billion. The Office rejected 109 contracts and related transactions valued at $580 million and more than 9,900 payments valued at nearly $39.8 million primarily for mistakes, insufficient support for charges, and improper payments. More information on these contracts and payments is available at www.openbooknewyork.com.

The Governor’s Executive Order 202 suspended the Office of the State Comptroller’s review and approval of contracts related to the COVID-19 crisis until November 3, 2020. At the administration's request, OSC has been expediting payments for purchases. These payments are reported on Open Book.

Major Contracts Approved

Office of Children & Family Services

• $2.8 million with Libera Inc. for implementation of vocational rehabilitation case management system.
• $1.6 million with Snehal R. Sheth for psychiatric services at Brookwood Secure Center.

Department of Correctional Services

• $4.4 million with Wyoming County Community Hospital for inmate hospital care at Wende Correctional Facility.

State Education Department

• $24.4 million with Erie 1 Board of Cooperative Educational Services to manage statewide student and educator data repository.
• $18.4 million with University of Kansas Center for Research for delivery of the New York State Alternate Assessment.

Department of Environmental Conservation

• $15.8 million for water quality improvement projects including $5 million to the Albany Water Board, $5 million to the Belgrave Water Pollution Control District, $1.7 million to the City of Tonawanda, $1.6 million to the City of Kingston, $1 million to the City of Canandaigua, $900,000 to the Village of Lancaster, and $600,000 to the Village of Corfu.
• $13.5 million to Nassau County for the Bay Park Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Office of General Services - Design & Construction

• $10.2 million with Con-Tech Building Systems Inc. for classroom and office space at Upstate Correctional Facility in Franklin County.
• $3.9 million with Marfi Contracting Corp. for roof replacement at David Axelrod Institute in Albany County.
• $2.3 million with Burgio & Campofelice Inc. for classroom and office space at Orleans Correctional Facility in Orleans County.
• $1.2 million with Hewitt Young Electric LLC for a natural gas standby generator at National Guard Joint Forces Headquarters in Albany County.

State University Construction Fund

• $95.3 million with FAHS Construction Group Inc. to construct a new Health and Wellness Center at SUNY Upstate Medical Center.
• $30.9 million with The Pike Co. to renovate Marshall Hall at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
• $10.4 million with Scott Lawn Yard Inc. for residential building infrastructure improvements at SUNY Brockport.

State University of New York

• $5.5 million with Plymouth Rock Energy LLC for supply of natural gas at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University.
• $4.4 million with Philips North America LLC for maintenance and repair services for imaging equipment at Upstate Medical University.
• $1.9 million with Automated Building Management Systems for service and maintenance of the Building Management System at Stony Brook University.

Department of Transportation

• $16 million with H&L Contracting LLC for rehabilitation of 6.6 miles of asphalt on Southern State Parkway in Nassau County.
• $9 million with National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) for reimbursement of costs associated with the rehabilitation of bridge decks on the Hudson service line in Columbia and Dutchess counties.
• $6.6 million with Oakgrove Construction Inc. for asphalt concrete pavement rehabilitation on various routes in Cattaraugus County.
• $5 million with Gannett Fleming Management Services LLC for operation of the Statewide Transportation Information and Coordination Center.
• $4.8 million with United Fence and Guard Rail Corp. for replacement of overhead sign structures at 26 locations in Suffolk County.
• $2.8 million with D&H Excavating Inc. for milling and resurfacing and drainage and sidewalk upgrades in Erie County.
• $2.1 million with Howard L. Boswell Engineering & Landscape Surveyor PC for construction inspection services for I-84 bridge rehabilitation in Orange County.
• $1 million to the Village of Croton-on-Hudson for the Croton-Harmon parking facility.

Major Payments Approved

Tax Refunds

• $290.8 million for 128,000 personal income tax refunds.
• $253.5 million for 309,000 property tax credits.
• $74.9 million for 11,000 corporate and other refunds.

City University of New York

• $1.1 million for purchases to support the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Department of Civil Service

• $267 million to CVS Caremark to provide pharmacy benefit services for the Empire, Excelsior and Student Employee Health plans.
• $30.6 million to Beacon Health Options Inc. for benefit services for the Mental Health & Substance Abuse Program for the NYS Empire Plan.

State Education Department·      

• $5.4 billion in general aid payments to 678 school districts.
• $16.2 million in BOCES aid payments to three organizations. 

Empire State Development Corporation 

• $1.5 million to 43North LLC for planning, renovation and construction costs to expand incubator space at the Seneca One Tower in Buffalo.

Office of General Services

• $13 million for hourly-based IT services, including $2.2 million to PSI International Inc., $2 million to MVP Consulting Plus Inc., $1.6 million to Knowledge Builders Inc., $1 million to IIT Inc., and $6.2 million to 28 other vendors.

Department of Health

• $32.1 million to Maximus, Inc. for assistance with the Health Benefit Exchange, including insurance enrollment and call center operations.
• $21.7 million to New York eHealth Collaborative Inc. for the Statewide Health Information Network for New York.
• $2.2 million for purchases to support the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

• $8.4 million to New York City for the Urban Area Security Initiative Program.
• $5.3 million for purchases to support the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Office of Information Technology Services

• $3.3 million for purchases to support the COVID-19 pandemic response.

 Department of Labor

• $7.7 billion for payments under the Unemployment Insurance, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation and Lost Wages Assistance programs.

Office of Mental Health

• $4.1 million for purchases to support the COVID-19 pandemic response.

State University of New York

• $3.7 million for purchases to support the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Department of Transportation

• $1.5 million to National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) for design and construction of the Hudson Line Positive Train Control System.

PAYMENT REJECTIONS AND OTHER COST RECOVERIES

The office rejected more than 9,900 payments valued at nearly $39.8 million, including tax refunds and credits valued at more than $2.9 million. The Comptroller’s auditors also recovered more than $84,000 from vendors owing debts to the state, and held payments of more than $93,000 pending resolution of disputes between subcontractors and prime contractors.

Cumulatively through September, for calendar year 2020, the Comptroller’s office has approved 10,787 contracts valued at $148.9 billion and has approved more than 144.7 million payments worth nearly $170.5 billion, including nearly 127.7 million unemployment insurance payments valued at more than $50.4 billion. The office has rejected 982 contracts and related transactions valued at $4.2 billion and more than 114,800 payments valued at nearly $352.2 million primarily for mistakes, insufficient support for charges, and improper payments.