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NEWS from the Office of the New York State Comptroller
Contact: Press Office 518-474-4015

        

DiNapoli Announces State Contract & Payment Actions for October 2014

November 18, 2014

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today his office reviewed 1,768 contracts valued at $18 billion and approved nearly 1.1 million payments worth nearly $7.4 billion in October. His office also rejected 177 contracts and related transactions valued at $568.3 million and nearly 55,000 payments valued at more than $4.1 million due to fraud, waste or other improprieties.

As the state’s chief financial officer, DiNapoli’s office reviews contracts for all state agencies and certain contracts for state public authorities and audits all state payments. This independent review ensures that costs are reasonable, the playing field is level and taxpayers get the best value for their money. The independent audits ensure payments are free from fraud, waste and improprieties. The Comptroller’s office averages 11 days for contract reviews and two days to audit payments.

DiNapoli releases this monthly notice to provide current information about the number and types of contracts and payments entered into by the state. This builds on his commitment to added transparency via his Open Book New York website.

Highlights for October 2014:

Major Contracts Approved

State University of New York
  • $240 million revenue contract for the sale of Long Island College Hospital properties to FPG Cobble Hill Acquisitions (Fortis Property Group and NYU Health Care).
Department of Transportation - Peace Bridge, Buffalo
  • $56.2 million with Union Concrete and Construction Corp to reconstruct the Peace Bridge Plaza.
  • $473,000 with CSX Transportation for Peace Bridge improvement work.
  • $105,000 with Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority for land and temporary easements.
Department of Transportation - Rochester Rail Station
  • $29.5 million with The Pike Co. for design and construction of the Rochester Rail Station.
  • $15 million revenue contract with the Federal Railroad Administration.
  • $6.8 million cooperative agreement with CSX Transportation.
Department of Health 
  • $14.6 billion for 22 contracts with managed care organizations for the Fully Integrated Duals Advantage demonstration program.
  • $644,000 with NYSTEC for project management for medical marijuana law implementation.
Department of Corrections
  • $6.6 million with Law Enforcement Psychological Services for psychological screenings of correctional officer applicants.
Department of Economic Development
  • $750,000 with Travel Link Marketing Co Inc. for New York tourism representation services in China.
State Education Department
  • $24.4 million in higher education opportunity program grants to 11 colleges across the state.
Superstorm Sandy 
  • $15.6 million for 20 contracts by various agencies for block grants and mental health services.
Office of Victim Services
  • $41.6 million for 100 victim services grants.

Major Payments Approved

New York State Supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Portion (SSI/SSP)
  • $50.8 million to more than 685,000 recipients of SSI/SSP, a monthly benefit that helps eligible blind, disabled and/or elderly individuals meet their basic needs.  The new Statewide Financial System enabled New York state to make these payments directly, saving the state $90 million annually in administrative fees to the federal government.
Tax Refunds and Credits
  • $490.7 million for personal income, corporate and other tax refunds and tax credits.
Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services
  • $9.1 million to Samaritan Village Inc., $3.7 million to Palladia Inc., $3.6 million to Outreach Develop Corp. Inc., and $3.2 million to Odyssey House Inc., all in New York City, for chemical dependency services.
Department of Transportation
  • $6.2 million to CCA Civil, Inc. for Staten Island Expressway reconstruction.
  • $3.4 million to Callanan Industries Inc. for pavement maintenance and small culvert repair in Duanesburg, Princetown, and Rotterdam.
  • $3 million to Concrete Applied Technologies Corp. for bridge replacement in Niagara Falls.
  • $1.1 million to Oakgrove Construction Inc. to replace bridges over the New York Power Authority reservoir in Niagara County.
Aid and Incentives to Municipalities (AIM)
  • $3.3 million to the city of Niagara Falls, $2.9 million to the city of Yonkers, and $427,000 to the city of Rochester.
State Education Department
  • $3.2 million to the Syracuse School District for the Teacher Incentive Fund.
  • $652,000 to Public Consulting Group Inc. for development of the New York State Common Core.
State University of New York
  • $3.3 million to Honeywell Building Solutions SES for an energy audit at SUNY Stony Brook.
Gaming Commission
  • $2.4 million to Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP for gaming advisory services related to the selection of applicants to develop and operate a casino.
Division of Criminal Justice Services
  • $1.6 million to The Legal Aid Society for the State Aid to Defense program to expedite the processing of serious and violent felony cases. 
Department of Health
  • $1 million to Research Triangle Institute for independent evaluation of the state’s Tobacco Control Program.
Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
  • $840,000 to Essex County, $231,000 to Tioga County and $123,000 to the town of Barton for Hurricane Irene property acquisitions.
Department of Agriculture and Markets
  • $740,000 to the New York Apple Association Inc. to promote apple products.
Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation
  • $166,000 to Yarussi Construction Inc. for site improvements to Niagara Falls State Park.
New York State Assembly
  • $141,000 to Proskauer Rose LLP for legal services. 
  • $8,000 to Whiteman Osterman and Hanna LLP for legal services.
  • $1,000 to Rossein Associates for legal services.
Department of Environmental Conservation
  • $100,000 to Sealand Enviro LLC to remediate contaminated soil at the former Duso Chemical site in Poughkeepsie.

Payment Rejections and Other Cost Recoveries

The Comptroller’s rejection of nearly 55,000 payments valued at more than $4.1 million included nearly 54,000 tax refunds valued at nearly $1.9 million. DiNapoli’s auditors also recovered nearly $92,000 from vendors owing debts to the state, and held more than $480,000 pending resolution of disputes between subcontractors and prime contractors.

Open Book New York

For access to billions of dollars in state and local government spending and nearly 50,000 state contracts, visit http://www.openbooknewyork.com/. The easy-to-use website was created by Comptroller DiNapoli to promote openness in government and provide taxpayers with better access to the financial workings of government.