Development News for Warwick, Rhode Island

City Awarding Network Connectivity Contract to Ocean to Ocean Inc.

The Finance Committee reviewed a request to award a bid for network connectivity citywide to Ocean to Ocean Inc. for the period of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. This contract piggybacks on the state's master price agreement (MPA 308) and is approximately 1% higher than last year's cost due to changes in how Ocean charges members. The IT Director noted that this pricing strategy saved the city an estimated 7-8% increase this year compared to private sector costs. The previous contract with Cox for similar services cost approximately $300,000.

City Council Approves Software Maintenance Contract with Tyler Technologies

The Finance Committee reviewed and recommended awarding the Munis software maintenance contract to Tyler Technologies for $310,347.80. This contract represents a 10% increase over the previous year, attributed partly to the inclusion of a training component and the first full year of operation for the citizen and employee self-service modules. IT Director Phil Carlucci explained that while the cost is significant, it is their number one software expense and the increase is within the typical range for software maintenance. He also discussed the future transition to a Software as a Service (SaaS) offering from Tyler Technologies, which could potentially double costs.

City Contracts with Visual Edge IT for Barracuda Backup and Cloud Services

The IT Director requested the award of a contract for licensing, support, and maintenance for the city's Barracuda backup appliance and cloud subscription to Visual Edge IT. The contract amount is $105,167. The IT Director explained that Barracuda uses channel partners, and Visual Edge IT has been their assigned partner since they switched several years ago, resulting in cost savings. The service includes offsite storage for all city data and email archiving. The contract consolidates two previous separate invoices into one, with minimal price increase compared to the extrapolated cost from the previous year.

Fire Department Seeks Approval for Medical Supplies Contract

The Finance Committee heard a request for medical supplies and medications, recommending three vendors: Bound Tree Medical, Henry Shine, and Life Assist, Inc. The proposed one-year bid is effective from July 21, 2026, through July 20, 2027, with an amount not to exceed $157,500. The committee discussed how these supplies are billed, noting that rescue billing includes a flat fee for transport and separate charges for advanced procedures and medications. The fire department does not directly assess the cost of supplies for billing, as this is determined by city ordinance. The discussion also touched upon the current fiscal year's spending and budget.