The Covington Board of Commissioners voted last week on several technology infrastructure and furniture contracts for the new city hall building.
The city is expected to move into the new building in early December, and IT Director Essam Elgusain explained at last week’s commissioners’ meeting that the vote had to be expedited.
“We’re looking to target specific inspection dates for the new building, and those inspections are related to the building’s life safety equipment,” Elgusain said. “So, in order to align with the life safety inspection, we need to have some of these systems and hardware ordered and in place and running so that those systems can be tested to pass inspection.”
The commissioners unanimously voted to approve four agreements with international IT service provider CBTS Technology Solutions. These included agreements for fiber optic infrastructure installation, desk phones for city staff and two agreements for ongoing support services. The agreements would make contracts throughout the city departments, including police, fire and uniform. Together, the three measures were worth about $95,000.
The final item was a contract for furniture with a company called RJE Interiors, which has offices in Cincinnati and Indianapolis, for up to $850,000. The city selected the contract following a bidding process.
“RJE will purchase and install custom commercial-grade furniture for our new city hall building, and that furniture scope is based on the same design of the architect and responsive to the operational needs of intergovernmental functions,” said Wetzel, adding that the furniture would integrate with the building’s technology and was asking for approval so that the city could get its certificate of occupancy before December.
Commissioner Tim Downing and Vice Mayor Shannon Smith both said they hadn’t had enough time to examine the contract, so they voted “pass” when it came to a vote. Commissioner James Toebbe, Commissioner Tim Acri and Mayor Ron Washington voted in favor.