Fredonia maintains its IT agreement despite criticism | News, Sports, Jobs

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OBSERVER Photo by MJ Stafford Former Fredonia Mayor Frank Pagano, left, speaks at a Fredonia village board meeting on Monday, with a portrayal of him during his 1995 term as mayor in 2007 hanging on the wall on the far right.

Fredonia Village Council to move forward with awarding a technology services contract to a company in Jamestown, after Administrator James Lynden’s motion to cancel the award fails at the meeting Monday.

The award of the contract to SymLink via DFT Communications, headquartered across Temple Street from Fredonia Village Hall, shocked the community – and two prominent members of it who have long served in village government, Sam Drayo and Frank Pagano, both of whom showed up on Monday to add their criticisms.

“An estimate was given by DFT. There were no detailed specifications developed for bidders to bid, ”said Drayo, the former village attorney. “So DFT did their best, submitted an estimate, and you always submit higher estimates to make sure you have enough money to pay within your budget for the job to be done.

Drayo said the contract did not meet the competitive bidding minimum of $ 25,000, so factors other than price could be factored into its award.

“It is a reliable and proven company. He has been in the village for over 120 years, “he said of DFT,” not to mention being a big taxpayer, employer and benefactor of many of the village’s charities and non-profits. “.

Pagano, mayor of Fredonia from 1995 to 2007, said: “The community is behind DFT, believe me when I say that. He told village officials that the $ 3,000 difference between SymLink’s offer and DFT’s estimate “is going to come back to haunt you” because the savings are not worth it in this case. He said the resolution awarding the contract should be rescinded and the project should be re-bid, with DFT being given a fair opportunity to compete.

Later in the meeting, director EvaDawn Bashaw, the most vocal counsel on the board of the SymLink arrangement, renewed her defense of the deal. She began by apologizing to Mayor Doug Essek for a heated exchange last week at a council workshop, where the two accused each other of conflicts of interest in the case.

“As I get older, I realize that there are a lot of things that I could have handled better, situations where I could have been kinder, softer, more understanding. I have to let my mistakes make me a better person and learn from my experiences, ”she said. “That said, the exchange between the mayor and me last week made the argument lose sense of the argument. And for that, I would like to apologize to Doug and the audience. I’m sorry.

“But these points were important to hear and I think some of them should not be brought up in the heat of the moment,” she continued. An auditor found that the village needed updated internet, technology and security services. “The management team therefore began to seek quotes by contacting neighboring municipalities and other companies with which the village does business. They contacted two suppliers… there was no error on the subject of these quotes. The work and services offered have been described by our staff.

Bashaw added, “It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, it’s a seller-to-seller comparison, and the customer chooses accordingly. There’s a reason the process and choices aren’t based on the location of the seller, the amount of taxes they pay, or the number of people they employ. It is based on the best available services at the best possible cost for our staff and our taxpayers. It’s our job as administrators, and the choice isn’t always popular.

She also reiterated a point she made last week, namely that the village is not reducing, eliminating or modifying the existing services it contracts out with DFT, which cost around $ 31,000 per month. year. Bashaw concluded by stating that administrators should continue to seek the best possible deals and services when it comes to village contracts.

Minutes later, Bashaw announced it was withdrawing a resolution that was to clarify the original measure awarding the contract to SymLink. She said Charlie Roberts, the village councilor, told her the new resolution was unnecessary.

At that time, Lynden proposed that the board of directors also withdraw the original resolution. His motion died for lack of a second.

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