State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today his office approved 1,866 contracts valued at $11.12 billion and approved nearly 2.8 million payments worth more than $10.8 billion in December. His office also rejected 253 contracts and related transactions valued at $5.76 billion and 919 payments valued at more than $9 million due to fraud, waste or other improprieties.

Cumulatively for calendar year 2016, DiNapoli’s office approved 19,407 contracts valued at $51.5 billion and approved nearly 31.6 million payments worth more than $130 billion. His office also rejected 2,252 contracts and related transactions valued at $15.3 billion and more than 37,000 payments valued at more than $85 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 eight days for contract reviews in December and two days to audit payments.

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

Highlights for December 2016:

Legislative Travel and Per Diem Expenses

Legislative travel and per diem expenses for calendar years 2013 through 2016 are posted in the Comptroller's reading room. This information is updated quarterly.

Major Contracts Approved

Council on the Arts

• $11 million for 72 grants to cultural organizations including: Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Society; American Museum of Natural History; Glimmerglass Opera Theatre; Long Island Traditions, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall; The Jewish Museum; George Eastman Museum; Lower East Side Tenement Museum; and Lake Placid Association for Music, Drama and Art.

Office of the Attorney General

• $9.6 million for 47 homeowner protection grants, including: $474,000 to Albany County Rural Housing Alliance; $440,000 to Long Island Housing Services; and $300,000 to Housing Council of Monroe County.

Department of Civil Service

• $59.2 million with Davis Vision for eye care services for New York State employees.

Division of Criminal Justice Services

• $250,000 with the Center for Children’s Law and Policy for training and technical assistance to address racial and ethnic disparities in the state’s criminal justice system.

Department of Economic Development

• $1.25 million with Four Communications Ltd. for tourism representation services in the United Kingdom.

Department of Environmental Conservation

• $5.8 million for land purchases including $5 million for land in the towns of Orwell and Redfield in Oswego County from the Conservation Fund.
• $2.2 million with Calgon Carbon Corp. for equipment and services for the Newburgh water supply.
• $1.4 million with Long Island Native Plant Initiative, Inc. for administration of the Long Island Invasive Species Management Area.
• $1 million with Erie County Soil and Water Conservation District for Lake Erie Watershed protection.
• $580,000 with Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Resource Agencies for Northeast Wildlife Teamwork Strategy participation.
• $375,000 with Town of Dresden to harvest invasive Water Chestnut species in Lake Champlain.

Office of Indigent Legal Services

• $8.4 million for six grants including $5.6 million to Westchester County for indigent legal services and $1.4 million to Westchester County to fund immigration assistance.

Legislature - New York State Senate

• $100,000 with Boies Schiller & Flexner LLP for legal counsel to the Legislative Ethics Commission.

Long Island Power Authority

• $28 million for two contracts with Kings Park Solar for the purchase of on-island renewable electricity and capacity from two solar installations in Smithtown.

Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

• $19.7 million for eight grants, including: $12.2 million to the New York Botanical Garden; $6.1 million to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Corporation; and $551,000 to the National Audubon Society.

Major Payments Approved

Tax Refunds

• $269.9 million for 966,000 property tax freeze credits.
• $201.6 million for 29,000 corporate and other refunds.
• $116.1 million for 18,000 personal income tax refunds.

Department of Agriculture and Markets

• $4.5 million to Cornell University for the New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services

• $470,000 to OPAD Media Solutions LLC for the Prescription Drug Abuse Campaign.

Empire State Development Corporation

• $10.3 million to Onondaga County for acquisition and renovation of the Hotel Syracuse.
• $2.5 million advance to the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority for facility preparations and maintenance, and to purchase marketing and advertisement services.
• $1.4 million to the Housing Trust Fund Corp. to administer the Better Buffalo Fund’s Main Street Initiative which helps revitalize historic downtown and mixed-use neighborhood commercial districts.
• $1.2 million to the World Racing Group Inc. to expand the Oswego Speedway to support Super Dirt Week event.
• $747,000 to New York University to construct the NYU Langone Medical Center Neuroscience Institute.

Department of Environmental Conservation

• $890,000 to Safe Boats International LLC to refurbish four law enforcement boats.

Executive Chamber

• $643,000 to Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason and Anello PC to provide legal services related to the U.S. Attorney’s investigation of the Buffalo Billion Project and Nano Program.

Gaming Commission

• $4.6 million to 12 local governments for Tioga Downs Casino & Racing and Del Lago Resort & Casino license fee distributions.

Office of General Services

• $15.9 million for hourly-based IT services, including: $4.9 million to PSI International Inc.; $1.9 million to Software People Inc.; and $1.9 million to IIT Inc.
• $3.9 million to the Albany Convention Center Authority for the Albany Capital Center Project.
• $903,000 to Hudson Valley Electrical Construction & Maintenance Inc. to replace perimeter fence and systems, and redirect drainage at Sullivan Correctional Facility.
• $487,000 to CHA Consulting Inc. for services including security design. 
• $83,000 to Welliver McGuire Inc. to rehabilitate the front entrance at the State Fair in Syracuse.

New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee

• $276,000 to the Cable Telecommunications Association of New York Inc. for the Highway Safety Campaign.

Department of Health

• $18.6 million to Maximus Inc. for assistance with the state’s Health Benefit Exchange.
• $2.3 million to OPAD Media Solutions LLC, including $1.9 million for tobacco control awareness.

New York State Legislature – Assembly

• $14,000 to Rossein Associates for outside counsel related to sexual harassment policy development and investigations.

New York State Legislature – Senate

• $72,000 to Boies Schiller & Flexner LLP for special counsel to provide confidential legal advice and counsel to the Ethics Commission.

Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

• $720,000 to Hudson Opera House in Columbia County for renovations.
• $486,000 to the Wesson Group LLC to expand the Midway and RV sites at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. 
• $139,000 to the Great American Trolley Company Inc. to purchase eight trolleys for Niagara State Park.

State University Construction Fund

• $7.9 million to LP Ciminelli Inc. for construction at the University of Buffalo’s School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

State University of New York

• $2.5 million to Welliver McGuire to expand and rehabilitate the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University.
• $244,000 to CHA Consulting Inc. for consulting services, including $193,000 for design services. 

Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance

• $74.4 million in federal Home Energy Assistance Program benefits to assist 177,000 low-income New Yorkers with home heating or heat-related emergencies.

Department of Transportation

• $6.5 million to Skanska-Kiewit-Ecco III JV to replace the Kosciuszko Bridge in NYC.
• $4.5 million to The Pike Co. for design and build services at the Rochester Amtrak Train Station.
• $1.1 million to Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. for design services for the Kosciuszko Bridge in Kings and Queens Counties.
• $257,000 to CHA Consulting Inc. for consulting services, including $136,000 for high speed rail design for the double track line from Albany to Schenectady.

Payment Rejections and Other Cost Recoveries

The Comptroller’s rejection of 919 payments valued at more than $9 million included 20 tax refunds valued at more than $180,000. DiNapoli’s auditors also recovered more than $80,000 from vendors owing debts to the state, and held payments of more than $192,000 pending resolution of disputes between subcontractors and prime contractors.

For access to state and local government spending, public authority financial data and information on 50,000 state contracts, visit Open Book New York. The easy-to-use website was created to promote transparency in government and provide taxpayers with better access to financial data.