State Contract and Payment Actions in September

October 29, 2024

In September, the Office of the State Comptroller approved 1,661 contracts for state agencies and public authorities valued at $1.9 billion and approved more than 2 million payments worth nearly $15.9 billion. The office rejected 210 contracts and related transactions valued at $298.1 million and nearly 3,200 payments valued at more than $6.4 million, primarily for mistakes, insufficient support for charges and improper payments. More information on these contracts and payments is available at Open Book New York.

Major Contracts Approved

Department of Civil Service

• $3 million with OpAD Media Solutions LLC to provide media buying services for continuous recruitment campaigns.

Department of Environmental Conservation

• $2.9 million with Tetra Tech Inc. for large whale monitoring in the New York Bight using aerial surveys.

Executive Chamber

• $9.1 million with the Boston Consulting Group Inc. for management consulting services to support the New York State Commission on the Future of Health Care.

Long Island Power Authority

• $28.8 million with Millennium Power Company LLC for off island electric capacity purchase.

Office of Addiction Services and Supports

• $15 million with OpAD Media Solutions LLC for public awareness campaigns.

Office of General Services

• $31.8 million with Owens Renz and Lee Company for integrated facility management services at Albany and Schenectady state facilities.

Office of the State Comptroller

• $12.2 million with Kelmar Associates LLC for custody, brokerage, and research services for abandoned securities for the Office of Unclaimed Funds.

State University Construction Fund

• $2.3 million with Armor-Tite Construction Corp. for the library roof replacement at SUNY Purchase in Westchester County.

State University of New York

• $20.3 million with Inter Technologies Corp. for audio visual infrastructure and installation at the University at Buffalo.

Department of Transportation

• $7.9 million with Vector Construction Corp. for NY Route 23 bridge replacement over Unadilla River in Chenango and Otsego Counties.
• $3.9 million with Callanan Industries Inc. for pavement reconstruction on I-84 in Orange County.
• $3.3 million with Matthews Bus Alliance Inc. for the purchase of 16 freightliner buses.

Major Payments Approved

Tax Refunds and Credits

• $430.4 million for 92,641 personal income tax refunds.
• $284.1 million for 368,260 property tax credits.
• $118 million for 22,860 corporate and other tax refunds.
• $6.1 million for 24,956 additional child and earned income tax payments.

Department of Civil Service

• $429.2 million to CaremarkPCS Health LLC to provide pharmacy benefit services for the Empire, Excelsior, and Student Employee Health plans.
• $37.5 million to Carelon Behavioral Health for the administration of the Empire Plan's mental health and substance use disorder program.

State Education Department

• $3 billion in general aid to 677 school districts.

Empire State Development Corporation

• $10.6 million to the Research Foundation for the State University of New York to establish the Innovation Hub to promote economic development in Western New York.
• $5 million to the CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity for the Growing Entrepreneurs & Innovators in Upstate New York (GENIUS NY) program.

Office of General Services

• $14.1 million for hourly-based IT services, including $2.7 million to Knowledge Builders Inc., $1.4 million to Panha Solutions Inc., $1.3 million to I-Link Solutions Inc., $1.2 million to MVP Consulting Plus Inc., and $7.5 million to 20 other vendors.

Department of Health

• $26.8 million to Maximus Inc. for assistance with the Health Benefit Exchange, including insurance enrollment and call center operations.
• $25.9 million to Maximus US Services Inc. for enrollment broker services for the Office of Health Insurance Programs.
• $3.8 million to One Brooklyn Health System Inc. for the Health Care Facility Transformation Program in Kings County.

Department of Labor

• $238.6 million for payments under the Unemployment Insurance, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation programs.

Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance

• $3.5 million for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

Department of Transportation

• $6.4 million to the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority for terminal enhancements and expansion at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport.
• $5.8 million to El Sol Contracting/ES II Enterprises JV for bridge repairs and painting on the Gowanus Viaduct Expressway in Kings County.
• $4.9 million to Albany County Airport Authority for the terminal expansion project at Albany International Airport.
• $4.3 million to EE Cruz & Company Inc. to replace Bronx River Parkway bridge in Bronx County.

Other Payment Rejections and Other Cost Recoveries

DiNapoli's office rejected tax refunds and credits valued at nearly $2.8 million. Auditors also recovered nearly $239,500 from vendors owing debts to the state and held nearly $476,700 in payments pending resolution of disputes between subcontractors and prime contractors.

Cumulatively through September for calendar year 2024, DiNapoli's office approved 16,345 contracts valued at $294 billion and approved more than 24.5 million payments worth more than $143.9 billion. The office rejected 2,134 contracts and related transactions valued at more than $18.8 billion and nearly 32,200 payments valued at nearly $143.1 million primarily due to errors, improprieties or lack of documentation.