Board of Estimates Meeting; November 4, 2026

The November 4, 2026 Board of Estimates meeting included approval of the routine agenda, with no no votes recorded. Procurement items included a $14.15 million award to Monumental Paving and Excavating for urgent water infrastructure work (WC1454), and several Department of Transportation emergency procurements, including lead-paint cleanup on three bridges ($765,134.20 and a separate $20,000 item) and a $5 million agreement with P. Flanigan and Sons. Health Department emergency procurements were deferred to December 2; listed items included Oka Ford Inc. ($2,592,000), Handle With Care ($2,293,200), and Metropolitan Protective Services ($990,600), among others. A Department of Real Estate option agreement with 417 North Howard Properties LLC was withdrawn. Public commenters criticized proposed spending on district social-media services and homeless services, raising concerns about local benefit, oversight, and accountability; the routine agenda was subsequently approved.

The separate bid-opening session recorded bids, not contract awards. For the passenger ferry vessel build/design project (RFQ0000808, Part B), bids were $27 million from Direct Tour Shipyards and $23,393,347.20 from Hornblower Cruises and Events. Freightliner OEM parts and service (RFQ0000868) drew bids including $661,250 from Harbor Truck Sales and Service, $647,050 from Johnson Truck Center, and a $543,875 submission referred to the Law Department for review. An HVAC installation bid for city buildings was $2,645,294.47 from Adrien L. Merton, Inc. Yard-waste composting was opened for technical proposals only, with pricing deferred to a future opening. Other bid openings included interpreting services and catering; some submissions were referred for review because of unclear or irregular documentation.