In January, the Office of the State Comptroller approved 1,493 contracts for state agencies and public authorities valued at $3.7 billion and approved nearly 1.9 million payments worth nearly $13.7 billion. The office rejected 165 contracts and related transactions valued at $4.3 billion and nearly 850 payments valued at more than $18.5 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 Agriculture and Markets

• $4 million with Resist Inc. to provide program administration services for the Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Farmers Grant Program.

New York State Canal Corporation

• $6.9 million with Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, Inc. for marketing and advertising services.

Office of Cannabis Management

• $6.9 million with FTI Inc. for True Party of Interest auditors.

Office of General Services – Design & Construction

• $18.7 million with Con-tech Building Systems Inc. to provide congregate recreation pens at the Upstate Correctional Facility in Franklin County.
• $5 million with Sharan Builders Inc. to provide masonry repairs at various locations in Albany and Schenectady counties.
• $2.5 million with Bison Elevator Service Inc. for the modernization of elevators at the Auburn Correctional Facility in Cayuga County.
• $1 million with New Britain Roofing Co. to replace the roof on building 12 at the Greene Correctional Facility in Greene County.  

Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

• $3 million with Marcy Excavation Services LLC for improvements to beach access at the Green Lakes State Park in Onondaga County.
• $1.9 million for lighthouse repairs on the Barcelona Lighthouse in Chautauqua County. 

State University of New York

• $5 million with New York State Industries for the Disabled Inc. to provide janitorial services for the indoor sports complex and Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium at Stony Brook University. 
• $3.6 million with Upstate Companies I LLC for elevator modernization at Binghamton University.  
• $1.7 million with Boland’s Excavating & Topsoil Inc. for intersection improvements at SUNY Cortland. 
• $1.3 million with Nafees Construction Corporation for restroom upgrades at SUNY Purchase. 
• $1 million with Commure Inc. for a security system in the nursing department at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University.

State University Construction Fund

• $3.5 million with J&K Plumbing and Heating Co. for mechanical upgrades to Whipple Hall and the Central Heating Plant at SUNY Morrisville in Chenango County.
• $1.9 million with Gilbane Building Company for construction management services related to the University at Albany’s renovation of the former Albany High School in Albany County. 
• $1.7 million with Bell & Spina Architects-Planners PC for design work related to replacing the roofs on multiple buildings at Binghamton University in Broome County.

Department of Transportation

• $14.9 million with Tilcon New York Inc. for highway resurfacing on Routes 22 and 6 in Dutchess and Putnam counties. 
• $8.8 million with Posillico Civil Inc. for barrier replacement and drainage work on Route 27 in Suffolk County. 
• $4.4 million with Tioga Construction Company Inc. for a bridge replacement over Oneida Creek in Madison County. 
• $3.4 million with Transitplus Inc. for Federal Transit Administration compliance monitoring services.  

Major Payments Approved

Tax Refunds and Credits                                                      

• $902 million for 27,874 personal income tax refunds.
• $173.4 million for 23,199 corporate and other tax refunds.
• $10.2 million for 10,381 property tax credits.

Department of Civil Service

• $373.2 million to CaremarkPCS Health LLC to provide pharmacy benefit services for the Empire, Excelsior, and Student Employee Health plans.
• $17.7 million to Carelon Behavioral Health for benefit services for the Mental Health & Substance Abuse Program of the Empire Plan. 

State Education Department

• $1.5 billion in general aid to 195 school districts. 
• $176.4 million in BOCES aid to 36 organizations.

Empire State Development Corporation

• $6 million to Onondaga County for regional economic development projects in Central New York.

Gaming Commission

• $10.7 million for tribal-state compact payments to the cities of Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Salamanca, and to the counties of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates. 

Office of General Services

• $12.9 million for hourly-based IT services, including $2.6 million to Knowledge Builders Inc., $1.9 million to Panha Solutions Inc., $1 million to MVP Consulting Plus Inc., and $7.4 million to 23 other vendors.

Department of Health

• $27.3 million to Maximus Inc. for assistance with the Health Benefit Exchange, including insurance enrollment and call center operations.
• $24 million to Maximus US Services Inc. for enrollment broker services for the Office of Health Insurance Programs.
• $9.6 million to One Brooklyn Health System Inc. for the Health Care Facility Transformation Program in Kings County. 
• $2 million to Currier McCabe & Associates Inc. for the development, implementation, and operation of the Medicaid data warehouse and the Office of Health Insurance Programs Data Mart.

Department of Labor

• $329.4 million for payments under the Unemployment Insurance, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation programs.

Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance

• $26.5 million for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

Department of Transportation

• $5.9 million to El Sol Contracting/ES II Enterprises JV for bridge repairs and painting on the Gowanus Viaduct Expressway in Kings County.

Unified Court System

• $2.5 million to The Children’s Law Center for the Law Guardian Program.

Other Contract and Payment Rejections and Other Cost Recoveries

DiNapoli’s office rejected tax refunds and credits valued at nearly $845,000. Auditors also recovered more than $619,000 from vendors owing debts to the state and held nearly $212,000 in payments pending resolution of disputes between subcontractors and prime contractors.