State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today his office approved 1,685 contracts valued at $2.75 billion and approved nearly 1.7 million payments worth more than $12 billion in September. His office also rejected 162 contracts and related transactions valued at $330 million and nearly 1,400 payments valued at nearly $4.2 million due to fraud, waste or other improprieties.
Cumulatively through September for calendar year 2016, DiNapoli’s office has approved 14,683 contracts valued at $37.16 billion and approved nearly 23.9 million payments worth more than $101.4 billion. His office has also rejected 1,681 contracts and related transactions valued at $8.51 billion and more than 33,000 payments valued at more than $70.4 million.
As the state’s chief financial officer, DiNapoli’s office reviews contracts for all state agencies and certain 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. These independent audits also help ensure payments are free from fraud, waste and improprieties.
The Comptroller’s office averaged 10 days for contract reviews in September and two days to audit payments.
DiNapoli releases this monthly notice to provide current information about the number and types of contracts and payments by the state. This builds on his commitment to added transparency via his Open Book New York website.
Highlights for September 2016:
Legislative Travel and Per Diem Expenses
Legislative travel and per diem expenses for calendar years 2013 through the third quarter of 2016, are posted in the Comptroller's reading room. This information is updated quarterly.
Major Contracts Approved
New York State Assembly
- $760,000 lease with 1310-1312 Flatbush Avenue, LLC for office space.
- $90,000 with International Roll Call Corp. for maintenance of the Assembly electronic voting system.
Office of Children and Family Services
- $37 million lease with Capital View Office Park for 52 Washington Avenue, Rensselaer.
Gaming Commission
- $13.4 million with Morrisville Auxiliary Corporation at Morrisville State College for equine drug testing.
- $1.4 million with KPMG, LLP to observe lottery drawings and certify ball weight.
Office of General Services
- $28.4 million with New York State Industries for the Disabled, Inc. for janitorial services at Empire State Plaza and other Albany facilities.
- $10 million to Oneida County for purchase of Oneida County Airport for use as a state Department of Homeland Security Preparedness Training Center.
- $6.5 million with Core Facility Services, LLC to provide facility management for the Shirley A. Chisholm State Office Building in Brooklyn.
Department of Health
- $1.2 billion for four Medicaid Advantage Plus Managed Long Term Care providers for Dual Medicare/Medicaid Eligible individuals: $885 million with Healthfirst Health Plan Inc.; $275 million with Elderplan Inc.; $36 million with NYS Catholic Health Plan Inc.; and $25 million to VNS Choice.
- $8.5 million grant to the United Federation of Teachers for support of health insurance for eligible child care providers.
- $7 million grant to the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association.
- $3.6 million with KPMG, LLP for hospital audits.
- $1.8 million grant to Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Inc. for Empire State Stem Cell pre- and post-doctorate fellows.
- $1.8 million grant to the Research Foundation for the State University of New York for Empire State Stem Cell pre- and post-doctorate fellows.
- $515,000 grant to Onondaga County Water Authority for drinking water fluoridation.
Office of Mental Health
- $13.8 million grant to Concern for Independent Living, Inc. for construction of a residential facility for homeless veterans in Coney Island.
- $3.3 million with New York University School of Medicine for child and adolescent tele-psychiatry services.
- $2.5 million with Rutgers University in New Jersey for technical assistance, Center for Recovery Centers and Peer Workforce Support.
- $2 million grant to the Postgraduate Center for Mental Health for a downstate non-residential mental health program.
- $468,000 grant to Urban Pathways, Inc. for SRO housing.
Division of State Police
- $632,000 with VCA Animal Hospitals, Inc. for veterinary and boarding services.
Major Payments Approved
Tax Refunds
- $203.1 million for 79,000 personal income tax refunds.
- $47.4 million for 13,000 corporate and other refunds.
Department of Agriculture and Markets
- $575,000 to New York Apple Association to promote state apples and apple products.
Council on the Arts
- $48,000 to the American Dance Asylum to support the NYS Dance Force program.
Department of Economic Development
- $4.5 million to the Research Foundation for SUNY for research at the Focus Center including new materials, processes and systems related to novel electrical interconnects.
Education Department
- $3.3 million to the Consortium for Worker Education for work force education services.
Board of Elections
- $169,000 to SCYTL USA LLC to provide software maintenance and training to comply with the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act.
Empire State Development Corporation
- $21 million for Fort Schuyler Management Corporation for real property, facility and infrastructure build-out, and the purchase and installation of specialized manufacturing equipment at SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Central New York Hub for Emerging Industries in Dewitt, N.Y.
- $500,000 to Economic Development Growth Enterprise for construction of a service access roadway to Marcy Nanocenter at SUNYIT.
Department of Environmental Conservation
- $1.8 million to DASNY for the design and construction of the Hashamomuck waterway access in Suffolk County.
Office of Children and Family Services
- $172,000 to Welfare Research Inc. for adoption services.
Office of General Services
- $9.4 million for hourly-based IT services, including $2.7 million to PSI International Inc., $2.1 million to IIT Inc., and $1.5 million to MVP Consulting Plus Inc.
- $4.5 million to Albany Convention Center Authority for the Albany Capital Center Project.
- $904,000 to Welliver McGuire Inc. to rehabilitate the front entrance at the State Fair in Syracuse.
- $278,000 to CHA Consulting Inc. for consulting services, including $68,000 for environmental engineering services statewide.
Department of Health
- $2.7 million to Computer Science Corporation and $2.3 million to Maximus Inc. for assistance with the state’s Health Benefit Exchange.
- $431,000 to OPAD Media Solutions LLC for the Zika Virus Public Awareness Campaign.
Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
- $7 million to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for the Urban Area Security Initiative.
New York State Legislature – Assembly
- $23,000 to Roemer Wallens Gold & Mineaux LLP for outside counsel for independent investigations of sexual harassment.
- $19,000 to Rossein Associates for outside counsel related to sexual harassment policy development and investigations.
New York State Legislature – Senate
- $82,000 to Kraus & Zuchlewski LLP for a settlement related to an employment matter.
Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
- $401,000 to Mr. Dirt Inc. for trail work from Taughannock Falls to Cass Park in Ithaca.
- $251,000 to D&B Engineers and Architects PC for environmental remediation services at the Kings Park Psychiatric Center.
- $230,000 to CHA Consulting Inc. for engineering services for various State Park regions.
Division of State Police
- $1.6 million to Van Bortel Ford Inc. for 39 police vehicles.
State University Construction Fund
- $246,000 to The Pike Co. for construction at SUNY Fredonia’s Science and Technology building.
- $32,000 to LeChase Construction Services LLC to construct the School of Pharmacy at Binghamton University.
State University of New York
- $1.3 million to Welliver McGuire to expand and rehabilitate the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University.
Department of Transportation
- $1.8 million to The Pike Co. for design and build services at the Rochester Amtrak Train Station.
- $897,000 to OPAD Media for the Pedestrian Safety Campaign.
- $727,000 to The Pike Co. to renovate the bridge over Brown’s Raceway and Genesee River in the City of Rochester.
Payment Rejections and Other Cost Recoveries
The Comptroller’s rejection of nearly 1,400 payments valued at nearly $4.2 million included 142 tax refunds valued at more than $384,000. DiNapoli’s auditors also recovered nearly $151,000 from vendors owing debts to the state, and held payments of more than $177,000 pending resolution of disputes between subcontractors and prime contractors.
For access to state and local government spending and more than 50,000 state contracts, visit www.openbooknewyork.com. The easy-to-use website was created by DiNapoli to promote openness in government and provide taxpayers with better access to the financial workings of government.