Bid process for town’s IT contract questioned

Lambi, Murray spar over whether Cumberland follows rules for contracts

CUMBERLAND – Echoing this week’s weather pattern, a conversation on Cumberland’s information technology management shifted from sunny to stormy at Wednesday’s Town Council meeting.

On the agenda was an extension of the current contract between Cumberland and CMIT Solutions for the town’s information technology management support and consulting needs. There was nothing but glowing praise said of the IT consulting firm’s performance over the past year, but Councilor Arthur Lambi raised concerns about the lack of a bidding process.

The contract awarded last year was for $68,000, and the new contract is for $77,952. Finance Director Brian Silva made clear that the increase is for additional hardware: the number of computers will grow from 70 to 79 and the servers from four to five.

By a 5-1 vote, the Council ultimately approved the extension of the contract for one year, with Lambi opposed and Council President E. Craig Dwyer absent due to illness.

Councilor Bob Shaw said that no one could be happier with CMIT’s performance, and that the firm went above and beyond “to ensure they got us to 21st century standards from where we were.”

Silva gave an example of a day when the cash drawers in the collection office wouldn’t close. He put in a ticket, and CMIT had the cash drawers working by the following afternoon.

“It’s a very small, mundane detail, but it’s one of my favorites,” he said, “in terms of going above and beyond.”

The firm has locked down the wireless access at town hall, done updates on holidays when town hall was closed, converted the town to a domain environment for increased security and beefed up virus protection, Silva said.

“They had to come in here and change a number of things that I don’t think they really knew what they were walking into,” said Mayor William Murray. “Not once did they come to us and say, ‘I need extra money.’”

But Lambi expressed frustration at the lack of a bid process, citing a section in the town charter requiring things that cost more than $5,000 to go out to bid.

“I’m not doubting the quality of the work,” he said. “A 15 percent increase without bidding is another example of something not going right in the process.”

For the second town council meeting in a row, Murray said Lambi was grandstanding.

“Do you want to keep questioning every little thing and micromanage?” he asked. “You’re going to run every vendor that wants to deal with Cumberland out of here.”

Murray added that he has gone over everything and “analyzed every inch,” and that nobody would say he hasn’t run the town in a fiscally responsible manner.

Lambi continued to question why the rules for professional service contracts were not being followed.

Shaw said the contract went out for bid a year ago – when Cumberland first went with CMIT – and it was his understanding that they don’t have to go out for bid again.

“It’s an option that’s being exercised by those that are in town hall due to the great work that was put forth by CMIT,” Shaw said. Silva added that the resolution passed last year included provisions to continue the contract.

Solicitor Tom Hefner asserted that this “is not your typical contract,” because it’s for a continual process rather than a onetime service, such as specific road repairs. In that case, he said, he thought they were in compliance with the law and saw no reason why the contract shouldn’t go forward.

“Again, I’m looking for an answer,” Lambi continued. “Mayor, I understand you want to move the town forward, but we have rules we need to follow. You’re not above the rules, and apparently you think you are.”

Murray pointed to Hefner’s comments and said they’re not following the rules for professional service contracts because they don’t have to.

“We’re going to follow this,” he said. “If you don’t like it, you have the vote up there tonight. If you want to bring the town to a standstill, that’s your prerogative.”

With that, Council President Pro Tempore Peter Bradley closed the public hearing, and the Council voted 5-1 in favor of the resolution to renew the contract.

During the public comment portion of the meeting that followed, Councilor Scott Schmitt said this is not how business should be conducted in the chamber and called for those in the room to “act in a professional manner.”

“We all gotta take a look at what our motivation is for being here,” he said. “If we get questioned, answer the question. If you don’t know the answer, say, ‘I don’t know the answer; I’ll get back to you.’ Don’t be antagonistic.”